Sable's Journey
by manga ranga
Summary: Part 2 of 3, explores the various clans of Ikana and how they live in Termina. This follows one of the Arch Mage's descendants and her journey to uncover the mysteries of the Stone Towers as well as learn the ways of her clan. But all is not well in Termina as Majora's Mask has surfaced and threatens to unleash it's wrath once more.
1. Prologue

Some may find this tale familiar as I have completely rewritten it to be... more in canon with Legend of Zelda.

Please note that the clans of Ikana are to be regarded as the Termina equivalent of mix between the Dark Interlopers and Twili from Hyrule.

Chronologically this story starts a few years before the incidents of Majora's Mask and finishes a little after them.

* * *

_In the early days of Termina's history, there was a war in the Eastern Valley._

_The Ikana, once a tribe of enlightened mages had divided over beliefs._

_One worshipped the Golden Goddesses, wielders of the Light._

_They believed they were the true Ikana and were tasked with destroying the foul Interlopers._

_These Interlopers called themselves the Gomess, wielders of Darkness who worshipped the Giants._

_Despite the divine intervention of the goddesses, they constructed the Stone Towers to act as a portal to the dark realm._

_This land where time stood still was known to them as the Twilight Realm._

_It was in this land they discovered a fifth Giant to worship as well as the accursed mask of the man-eater._

_The emergence of this mask only ignited a long brewing feud as war was declared._

_Neither the Ikana nor the Gomess were willing to negotiate._

_They did not even realise the Stone Towers had created a gate to Termina._

_They did not stop fighting, even as the parasitic demon, Bellum, invaded Termina._

_One Gomess, Majora, proved to be different as she was the chosen of the Eastern Giant._

_Equipped with forbidden knowledge of darkness, she joined forces with the Deku, Goron and Zora to banish Bellum._

_She led them to become the chosen of the remaining Giants and to be capable of calling upon the masked shadows of each primal god._

_They were victorious in their endeavours, they banished Bellum and saved Termina from a terrible fate._

_Upon her return to Ikana, Majora was still faced with the same war._

_Although her recent conquest had made her the target of a sinister plot by Arch Mage Zant._

_Her soul was shattered as he tore out her malice to become an imp for him to control._

_Donning the mask of the man-eater, the imp played along until the opportune moment._

_When both the Ikana and the Gomess leaders were gathered on the battlefield._

_The Imp unleashed a curse upon both clans, using that accursed mask as a catalyst._

_The Ikana were mutated into the undead, doomed to be shunned by their beloved their goddesses._

_The Gomess were exiled to the Twilight Realm to suffer a hellish fate at the hands of the demons that dwelled there._

_In Ikana's darkest hour, Majora confronted her other self and the monster influencing her._

_She played the Song of Healing and sealed away the demonic man-eater as well as her imp into its mask once more._

_For reasons unknown she then plunged into the abyss of the Stone Towers, sealing the stronghold of her tribe from unwanted visitors._

_The mask of the man-eater gained a new name that day, Majora's Mask._

_However, not all mages perished that terrible day. _

_Majora had proved that the world beyond the kingdom of Ikana was more welcoming._

_So Arch Mage Midna led her followers away from the valley and into Termina._

_Yet time has passed since this ancient act and the blood of the Gomess has watered down to a handful of survivors._


	2. Sable

The streets of Clock Town bustled with activity in the early afternoon. Workers and carpenters were focused on packing away the decorations from the Carnival of Time. The grand event had ended a week ago and now most minds were turned to planning the extravaganza for the next year. Housed with the walls of this town stood the iconic Clock Tower, although no historian of Termina could establish when it was constructed or who planned this marvellous tower. Yet all races of Termina revered it as the heart of their land, beating to its rhythm as it counted through the ages and watching the shifting landscapes.

East Clock Town was regarded as the upper class neighbourhood. It held the majority of attractions and housed prestigious members of the community. Travellers were always encouraged to stay at the Stock Pot Inn, the only and therefore finest hotel in town, visit the Milk Bar and partake in the various games always available all year round. It also appeared to be the most flamboyant of the districts with colourful banners decorating the streets. No matter what time of day or night, East Clock Town was always pulsing with activity and never seemed to close.

Weaving through the crowds was a youth on the cusp of early adulthood. Her black hair was cut messily to hang above her shoulders. Longer strands were braided to frame her face and were tied to silver rings. A jester hat kept her hair off her face although the ends were knotted through two thick silver hoops. Her roughed up clothes resembling what a boy would wear. Her boots were scuffed beyond recognition and the patterns on the leather were faded with time. Her lucky Keaton mask still covered her face despite the fact that the festival was well and truly over for this year.

Jim spied Sable wandering down the street as she always did. It was hard to miss her in a crowd as she stood out almost anywhere, her skin had a sickly grey hue to it and her eyes, just thinking of them made his skin crawl. Most adults seemed to avoid her as well despite being the adoptive daughter of Professor Shikashi. Nevertheless, there was something about her that made him and the Bombers nervous. He tightened his red bandana, a subtle signal to his cohorts that she was moving into position.

Another member of the Bombers nodded back from atop a pile of crates on the opposite side of the square. He then waved to another who was running from South Clock Town. This Bomber had unfortunately drawn the short straw and had to hide raw bacon in his pocket. It was the only to catch the attention of the Mutoh's dog. The burly carpenter claimed it was his wife's dog, but the adorably fluffy mutt never strayed far from him. However the dog had a vicious temperament and many social problems, even chasing after armoured guards when provoked. Even the Deku merchants who came to town were often too terrified to open shop when it was sniffing around.

Right now that same dog was chasing the scent of bacon coming from the boy with a bandana. It chased him through the crowd, its mind consumed with hunting that bacon down. The Bomber crossed paths with Sable and tossed it in her direction. Although at the last minute she knelt down to pick up a flyer for the Indigo-Gos. The bacon landed on a post box instead followed by the leaping charge of the ferociously fluffy dog. The unsuspecting post box had no chance as it splintered into pieces.

Jim waved frantically at his fellow Bombers from his vantage point on top of the Milk Bar. He could see the Postman coming, moving to his routine like clockwork as always, and he would not be forgiving for such destruction. They divided and fled with every intention to reconvene in North Clock Town so they could formulate their next plan. In light of today's circumstances, they had more notes to enter in their club's notebook.

The splintered remains of the post box were greeted by the screams of the Postman. Mutoh's dog munched happily on its acquired bacon, glaring at the thin red headed man in the strange outfit and hat. That hat, just looking at that bunny emblem annoyed the dog's senses. It did not care for the guards that had been called over either. The littler dog finally erupted as it barked madly at all of them.

Outside the Stock Pot Inn, Anju was sweeping the street near the front door. Her short red hear curved neatly around her face and framed her azure eyes. She was a beautiful young woman wearing her favourite blue skirt, vest and shirt. Noticing the comical argument between man and dog over the post box, she paused her daily cleaning routine. Upon hearing a familiar giggle Anju said to the jester girl near her "What did you do now Sable?"

The Keaton mask lifted to reveal a pleasant face aside from her sickly complexion. Her bloodshot eyes permanently appeared infected as her sclera was tinged yellow and her iris was the colour of mud. Anju always worried that the young girl was actually diseased and that perhaps Professor Shikashi had not noticed. The old man always seemed to be focused on his astronomy to pay attention to anything else going on.

Sable replied sincerely "Nothing, I'm just walking down the street minding my own business, Ms Anju. I can't help it if the Bombers are annoying."

Anju was not convinced as she placed a hand on her hip "I know what you're like, you knew they were getting that dog into place."

The accusation earned a cheeky grin from Sable, she then waved to her "I have to get home now Ms Anju, it was nice to see you again."

The crowds seemed to avert their gaze as Sable walked down the street. The familiar nervous glances followed by suddenly becoming very interested in the wall were not lost on her. Reluctantly, Sable pulled down her mask to hide her eyes. She wondered if she could ever go into a town without people looking at her strangely. As far as she knew, she was simply born this way, she was not a sick child to be pitied or a freak to gawk at. It made a part of her want to leave this town behind and see if maybe there were others who looked like her.

Her path took her in the direction of the Mayor's office before a sudden detour into a darkened alleyway. At the end of the cobbled path was a tunnel into Clock Town's underbelly. It was well lighted by various torches but it never seemed to keep the rats and spiders at bay. She knew Professor Shikashi needed to be away from the lights of the city to do his work. Yet she resented the trek to and from Clock Town every day in order to get the shopping done. The only upside to this path was that it was much safer than travelling through the fields.

A firm hand grabbed her by the shoulder before she could wander off. Sable looked up to see the rather distinguished and unimpressed face of Captain Viscen. His immaculate armour was trimmed with decorations of purple and gold. Judging from the pack of scrolls under his shoulder he had just had a meeting with Mayor Dotour. "I've received reports that you've been climbing the walls again."

"Me?" Sable innocently started, then frowned as she realised the captain could see right through her act "Yes, it was me. It's not like I get in the way of your patrols, I just like the view."

Captain Viscen shook his head at her "But you shouldn't be up there because you're clearly still sick."

Sable let out a sigh, it felt no matter how many times she told him he just would not listen. "I know you mean well captain and that you're very good at your job…" he waited for her to elaborate "But I like being on top of the walls, feels like I'm on the shoulders of a giant."

"But it's no place for children, Sable. Consider this your final warning, I may have to organise a patrol just to keep an eye on you."

"It won't come to that." She called to him as they parted ways, Sable retreated into the darkness to make the journey home. Honestly she could not be overly angry at the captain, even though he was a little old fashioned, he clearly loved Clock Town and took his duty to protect everyone in it very seriously.

* * *

At that moment Professor Shikashi was adding his recent discoveries to his archive of maps. Each one was a detailed parchment on all the positions of the stars and the migratory patterns of comets. They were paintings of the celestial bodies that only dared reveal themselves in the night. His obsession with the night had led to him becoming the most respected astronomer in all of Termina. However he found himself quick to anger when a tourist mistook him as a cheap fortune teller. At times like that he was overwhelmed with the need to explain the differences between astronomy and astrology.

His solace was interrupted as he spied a jester hat moving among the piles of tomes gathered in his observatory. The walls were jet black yet reflected all the colours of the rainbow beneath the light of his lamps. He called out "Welcome back Sable."

"Evening Gramps." Sable responded as she placed the sack of groceries in their small kitchen "Anything new in the sky?"

"Not really, but I finished mapping the trajectory of Eldin's comet." He turned from his work, his blue robes aflutter as he moved among the piles of books "I'll have this tidied in a moment child," he adjusted his blue cap that held his long silver hair at bay "By the way, happy birthday." He retrieved an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her, almost choking on his words to say "Your father wanted me to give you this when you were fourteen."

By then Sable had tossed her mask onto the hammock she called her bed. She received the gift with a perplexed look "Thankyou… but why would my father want me to wait?" He shrugged back to her as she opened the envelope. She tugged on the old leather chord and pulled out an unusual stone pendant. It might have been a helm from armour or a mask. A twisted face adorned by a pair of horns fitted in the leather seamlessly. There was a pair of strangely wide eyes looking back at her yet no mouth or nose. The end of the pendant curved into another pair of horns and two jagged spikes. Despite looking like stone, it felt almost weightless in her hand. "What a peculiar design… Where did he find this?"

Professor Shikashi lighted his pipe, blowing out a ring of smoke "It was a gift from his own mother, it's been passed down through your family for centuries. A most unique heirloom so you better be careful with it."

"I'm never letting it out of my sight." Sable pulled the chord apart and realised it had snapped, she was mortified "Oh Giants, I just broke a priceless heirloom!"

"No child, put the ends back together and you'll see." She followed his suggestion, lining the broken ends together she witnessed them merge back together like nothing had happened. Professor Shikashi laughed at her bewildered face "That old necklace is more than it seems. However I haven't the slightest on what specifically it's for. Perhaps in a different era it held some significance but now, it's just an interesting piece of jewellery."

By then Sable had placed the necklace around her neck and was surprised at just how large it was. The pendant itself had to be size of her hand as it rested against her chest. Then again the fact it felt weightless made no sense. Regardless she hugged the professor and said "Thankyou for the gift, I love it." She pulled away momentarily "Are you sure there's nothing else you can tell me about it? It looks like a really unusual mask, I wonder which part of Termina it came from."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Shikashi laughed under his breath "Termina folklore is not my area of expertise so I can't tell you anything about it."

"Oh well, it's more fun working these things out yourself." A pleading look appeared on her face "Do you reckon maybe I could go somewhere else in Termina? I'd like to confirm my findings on the Giants by visiting their temples?"

Shikashi's moustache twisted at the thought "The temples!? Those places are far too dangerous, you'd be better off searching the regions near them and talking to the area's dominant race."

"I see, say, that Koume and Kotake you talk about some times seem knowledgeable, can I meet them? Maybe they can help?"

"Perhaps we can hold off the trips until you're a little older, your parents would never forgive me if I let anything bad happen to you." Truthfully Shikashi was more concerned about introducing her to a pair of ancient witches. "It's just you don't know how to protect yourself, there are monsters everywhere outside Clock Town."

Sable attempted to reason with him "True… but, I'm pretty good with a grappling hook so I can climb to safety."

"I don't think that strategy will always work," Shikashi admitted "If I were younger I'd escort you there myself. After all, I was a rather formidable fighter back then."

"Yeah, you travelled all over Termina to write the first cosmic maps."

"So I know how dangerous it can be, I'm not trying to destroy your ambition, I just think you need to be very careful and also realistic about how you pursue it."

Sable nodded back to him, she had to admit the old man had made a very good point about her current predicament. Now it was up to her to find a feasible solution so she could effectively carry on her studies.


	3. Ancestral Guidance

After dinner the Sable was left to wash the dishes. Given the late hour Professor Shikashi often fell back into a routine of observing the stars while night still cloaked the land. It was a fair system though as he often performed household tasks during day while she took care of matters at night. As she pulled the plug in the sink to expel the dishwater, her ears pricked up at another sound. There was always a patch of earth that remained untiled near the entrance to the observatory. The soft soil was out of place completely unless one knew of the bewitched creature that emerged from it. The earth parted as an old scarecrow emerged from the ground and settled in the soil.

"Happy birthday kid!" sang the scarecrow as he twirled on his pole.

"Thanks Pierre," she put a stack of clean dishes in a cupboard "Good to see you again, found any more pleasant music?"

"Sadly not this time around, lucky I made it today. I accidently danced into the Trade Post again and I swear, if that guy makes me dance for his customers again I'm gonna freak! So here I am!"

"Where did you go this time Pierre, to the sandy western shores to chill with the Indigo-Gos or maybe the southern swamp to visit Koume and Kotake?"

"Neither kid, I headed north this time! Spring in the mountains is incredible! I hung out with a bunch of me Goron mates and caught up with them all." Pierre then twisted down, mimicking the gesture of leaning in close to whisper a secret "Actually for my next trip I'm thinking of going east, to the Valley. I heard the greatest Terminan composers to ever live are buried out there. As a fellow music lover, I need to pay my respects."

Sable noticed the professor enthralled by work to notice them "Why are you whispering this?"

"You mean you don't know about Ikana? Even with all that reading and studying you do?" she shook her head to him "Really?" Pierre then twisted dramatically "Well kid, consider this my birthday present to you. I'm going to tell you the story of Ikana, now take a seat and listen." He waved his arms dramatically "Long ago, in a time before the Giants were accepted as the guardians of Termina, there was a clan of magic wielders, the brightest and best of Terminans who lived in the eastern valley. They called themselves the Ikana and worshipped the old deities, the Golden Goddesses. With time their kingdom was divided as some favoured the powers of darkness while others favoured the light. Those who favoured darkness soon came to worship different gods, or the Giants as we now know them, and shunned the Golden Goddesses. However this didn't sit too well with the other side so the Ikana called them the Interlopers, so they took this name and called themselves the Gomess. Really stubborn lot they were, they fought so much that it took the power of a demon to end the war between them." Pierre then laughed nervously "Of course, it meant that the Ikana are now cursed with undeath while the Gomess were banished from Termina."

Sable leant in closer, eyes wide with wonder "But where did the demon come from?"

"You know when you look east, you see those big towers, the Gomess built those, no idea why or how, but apparently it opened a gateway to a different realm." Pierre paused dramatically "A place where time stands still and the wild deities roam, the Twilight Realm."

"So it wasn't a demon then, was it a wild deity?"

"If an ethereal creature from beyond the veil of time and space comes here for the sole purpose of killing everyone… I think that makes it a demon." Pierre laughed to himself "Just saying."

"And it came out of the towers!?" Sable shook her head "But those towers are still there, you can see them from anywhere in Termina, right? Why are they still standing if they opened a portal to this Twilight Realm?"

Pierre ended with a reluctant sigh "Sorry kid, I just know that bit of the story and none of the details. Maybe you should go ask Koume and Kotake, they've been alive long enough to actually meet the Gomess who fled the east before the curse was released."

The two names were familiar as Sable had heard them in Pierre's tall tales and in passing comment from the professor. Yet there were no faces to put to them and she questioned whether she would want to meet them. From the descriptions of the various tales it sounded as though they were witches.

"Pierre, when did you get here?" Professor Shikashi remarked as he headed to the kitchen for a coffee refill "Also stop scaring Sable with such stories."

Pierre folded his straw arms over his torso "It ain't stories, it's history and one that everyone has forgotten." He pouted as best he could with a permanently smiling face "You can't erase history pal. Coz you can't know the road ahead unless you know where you've been"

"Too true Pierre" the professor turned to Sable "Isn't it about time you were in bed?"

Sable answered politely "I think I'll star gaze for a bit, then head off."

"Alright then"

"Thanks again for the necklace Gramps, see you Pierre and thanks for the story." Sable retrieved a notebook from her desk then climbed up the ladder to head out onto the observation deck of the Astral Observatory.

* * *

The sky mimicked diamond studded velvet while the full moon clasped the darkness over Termina. From the observation deck one could see the Clock Tower and the walls of the main city. Verdant fields encircled the walls before diversifying into different environments the closer it came to a compass point. Sable turned to the east to see the ominous towers rising from the horizon. The sight of those stones penetrating the sky always ignited curiosity. However the desolate wastes of the valleys deterred most from venturing further than the eastern gate of Clock Town. There had been tales of Goron and Deku travellers circling to the west as they migrated north and south to avoid travelling anywhere near the valleys. Oddly enough no one could offer any explanation as to why they did this other than the land was cursed.

Folklore in Termina mostly revolved around a collection of gods as well as the moon or darkness and the sun or light. Their main gods were the Giants, the guardians of their land whose spirits resided in the temples found the furthest lands of the south, north, east and west. There were also the lesser gods, lesser because they are acknowledged but not worshipped. These were called the fierce or wild deities that took on all manner of shapes and forms. The common factors of them all were that they were unpredictable and extremely powerful.

Given the story Pierre had told her, Sable now knew these deities migrated from this Twilight Realm. She continued to make notes in her book, a hobby of hers as she collected stories from the races of Termina. Due to her diseased appearance she had sought solace in the realm of academia for most of her life. Her natural curiosity motivated her various projects but her lack of freedom to travel beyond Clock Town hindered her efforts. She cautiously gazed over at the towers to the east once more. Even though she was behind high iron fences to keep the monsters at bay, she still felt vulnerable by gazing at them.

"The Stone Towers haven't changed a bit." Sable froze up, wildly looking around for the owner of the voice. It sounded like a noblewoman but had a certain casual charm to it "You know, the towers of the east you're so scared of. I don't understand why."

Sable continued to look "Who? …Where are you?"

"Can't you tell, I'm right here," the pendant around her neck began to float "I'm speaking to you beyond the grave using this fused shadow."

"But… who are you?"

"My name is Midna, I lived in the era that saw the downfall of Ikana and I was an Arch Mage of the Gomess." The pendant pointed in the direction of the Stone Towers "That was built by the Gomess to act as a gateway to the heavens so we could confront the Golden Goddesses, instead it became a portal to the Twilight Realm."

"Can you show yourself?" Sable suggested nervously, necklace remaining suspended in the air "It's just, I look a little crazy by talking to my pendant. Why are you talking to me anyway?"

"Why indeed?" A ghostly spectre manifested before her to unveil a tall and beautiful woman. Her skin had a silver hue and her eyes and hair were the colour of fire. Braids cascaded down her elegant form all ending in silver hoops etched with unknown runes. Black robes hugged her curves and were edged with blue patterns, the pendant was also resting around her neck.

Sable was overwhelmed by this visage "Your eyes… and skin…"

Midna looked her over and sighed, almost disappointed "Wow, amazing what a few millennia of breeding does to your race. Then again," she knelt down to Sable's level "You're just a half breed."

"A half breed of what exactly?"

Midna threw her arms up in the air "Do I have to spell it out for you? I thought you were a bright one?"

Sable looked to the ground, trembling as she asked "Am I a Gomess? Is that why there's not many others like me?"

"Well, you're perhaps the purest blood Gomess in this era right now. Your father was a pureblood of the highest calibre, it's why he has this necklace." Midna gestured to her spectral copy of the pendant "Most Terminans these days don't even realise they're part Gomess, but it's only really a tiny sliver so it's usually an aesthetic thing." she knelt down to Sable's level and smirked "You on the other hand, can be so much more. The fact that I can talk to you through the fused shadow is a sign."

Now that Sable thought about it she could not recall any memory of what either of her parents looked like. So perhaps this ghostly visage was shedding a light of truth on her clouded life. She chose her next words carefully, to keep the spirit talking, "What exactly do you think I can do?"

"The magic of the Gomess is linked to the Twilight Realm and divides into two forms. The official titles are accito ad vesperam or the art of manipulating darkness and therianthropism." Midna proudly informed "The art of being part beast and part human, the gift of assuming various skins to do your bidding."

Sable shrank upon hearing such knowledge, her pencil madly scribbling to keep up "So… a shape shifter?"

"And lucky for you I was a master of therianthropism. However in order for Gomess to use it we have to claim the soul of the beast we wish to become. So we had to learn how to harvest souls and bind them to ourselves." She laughed a little "I took it even further, my greatest achievement was binding pieces of the soul of a fierce deity to two masks… alas, they're lost in the Stone Towers." Caught up in bragging over her achievement, she did not notice that Sable was madly writing in her notebook of this discovery "One to represent its raw strength, the other to contain it's magic. The original plan was to use them to slay the Golden Goddesses when we finally breeched the heavens. Then the incident with Majora happened and we were all obliterated in a night."

Not turning from her notes, Sable prompted "Then how did you get out?"

"I knew what my brethren were planning, but I also knew that Termina would be willing to tolerate us, they were not as idealistic or bigoted as the Ikana. So I led half of my clan to freedom, its why this land still reveres the Giants." Midna's face frowned as she turned to the teenager and snapped "Hey! Since when was this an interview!? I came here to get something from you!"

Sable was startled from her work "Ok, what is it?"

"I want you to carry on our magic and learn the ways of therianthropism… which also means you need to learn how to reap souls as well. You're a studious child, you should love this challenge."

"It's all a bit overwhelming," Sable sighed and muttered to herself "I don't think I'd be able to survive the trip across Termina, let alone fight monsters."

"And if you do so you'll receive a very good reward, not only do you win the freedom to travel anywhere in Termina in ease," Midna smiled wickedly "But what if I told you, you could take the form of a dragon. Not just a typical dodongo either, I mean, a real flying dragon," She tittered to herself "You'll probably say, those kinds of dragons are extinct or only exist in stories. Well, in my era they were alive and well, until they were hunted down by the Gorons." A finger pointed at Sable's pendant "Luckily, I was able to bind the soul of the dragon matriarch, Argorok, here. A fair deal if you ask me, a way to preserve her for all time while letting my bloodline assume her form."

Sable rolled her eyes "That's all well and good but where am I supposed to learn this magic? There's not really an abundance of magic users around."

"In Clock Town maybe, so head to the Southern Swamp and speak with my old friends. Koume and Kotake, tell them Midna sent you. They'll know the rest."

"And what if I don't?"

Midna was taken aback, then menacingly leant down to her level "Otherwise I will haunt you every step of your life, your sleep will be tainted by nightmares and you will see the damned in your waking hours." She growled in a demonic voice "I did not forsake Zant just to watch you throw it all away. That is why I always speak to my descendants when they first wear my necklace." Midna brushed a braid of her shoulder "There's only really one path for you to take."

Sable watched helplessly as her only link to a lost era vanished into the night once more. Her pendant, no, her fused shadow temporarily lost its levitating ability in Midna's absence. Overwhelmed by what had just happened, Sable remained frozen to that spot on the observatory deck all night.


	4. Leaving Clock Town

With the rise of sun, Shikashi finally put his quill down and stepped away from his telescope. He arched his back followed by a series of cracking sounds. Rousing his stiff body into movement, he grabbed his empty mug and returned to the kitchen for yet another serving of coffee. Pierre had departed hours ago as the scarecrow knew never to distract an astronomer at night. In his half dazed state, Shikashi scratched at his beard and narrowly missed tripping over a creatively balanced stack of books. His work seemed to grow within his observatory like stalagmites.

As he passed the kitchen table he saw Sable was curled up beneath it. Tightly hugging her legs as her wide eyes blankly stared at the wall. Abandoning his quest for coffee, he sat down on the floor opposite her and said "What happened now?"

Sable responded "You'll think I'm insane if I told you."

"Let me be the judge of that."

She nervously looked around, then held up her pendant "A ghost called Midna came out of this pendant and told me I can do magic so now I need to find Koume and Kotake to teach me how to shape shift and…" she paused for breath "And if I don't, I'm going to be cursed for the rest of my life! I don't know what to do. I'm no traveller! But I can't just do nothing!" Her hands clawed at her face as she continued shaking.

Shikashi remained blank faced, he was expecting a problem with adults bullying her or the Bombers being a nuisance. He was not expecting this in any way. "I don't understand what you're getting at but there is one thing I do know, you need someone trained in magic to look at that pendant." He let out a hollow laugh "I mean, this is your chance to see the world a little, isn't it? Koume and Kotake live on the outskirts of the Southern Swamp so it's a safer journey to take."

"You mean you believe me?"

"Not fully, but if this is some kind of curse it's best if you went to see people who know about magic. I'll get my old map for you, the roads haven't changed since I last travelled." He began to rummage through a nearby pile "Get your things together, this is not going to be an overnight visit. I suspect you'll be leaving home now."

"Really? I know I wanted to travel but-"

"It doesn't mean you have to leave forever, it's just you may find it easier if you relocated for a while." Shikashi smiled back to her "Regardless of what happens, you will always have a home here."

Sable finally crawled out from under the table, feeling a bit braver thanks to Shikashi's calm demeanour. An old travelling pack was placed before her makeshift room where she packed in her few belongings. After rolling up her hammock, placing her few notebooks, pencils and pillow in the bag she realised just how little she owned. Finally she folded up her mother's shawl and added it to the bag. It was a stretch of fabric stitched with various metal hoops that most likely started Sable's obsession with sewing them to her clothes. The hoops on the tattered ends of her vest jingled softly as she climbed a pile of books to reach her grappling hook. A few years ago she had learnt how to use it effectively in order to reach the top of the walls in Clock Town. With enough rope she knew she could probably get over that wall without the guards even noticing.

Securing the hook to the side of her bag, she finished tying it up and slinging it on her back. By then Shikashi was standing by the door with a folded parchment in his hand. He gave it to her and warned "Just follow the southern road to reach the swamp, no detours at all and no wandering off." He then remembered, bringing a palm to his forehead as he cried "The guards, they'd never let you pass on your own. But I don't have the money to hire you a chaperone."

"Relax Gramps, I got this." Sable gestured to her grappling hook.

"Don't break your neck!"

"I won't," she hugged him "Be safe and take care of yourself."

"I wish you a safe journey child, I'm sure Koume and Kotake will keep me well informed."

Sable exited the observatory and headed back through the tunnels towards Clock Town.

* * *

The early hours of the morning were ideal for sorting out the laundry. Anju went onto the second storey patio of the Stock Pot Inn. She reached up and pulled the various lines to the supporting pillar on the far side of the balcony. The mechanisms locked together to create a makeshift clothes line. Sorting through the various baskets of wet linen, she hummed a song to herself as she hung out the washing.

At the same time the major's son, Kafei, was just leaving the Milk Bar with his friends. Anju saw him from her vantage point on the second floor and felt her cheeks blush. He was a very handsome young man with gentle red eyes that always put a smile on her face. His purple hair was worn long and curved above his shoulder that she always found dashing. She froze for a second as he looked up at her, he waved happily and called out "Good morning Anju!"

Kafei realised he was going to cop his fair share of jokes from his friends for that. However he had to admit Anju was the most beautiful woman in all of Termina. He had timidly attempted to court her for the past few months, feeling that being childhood friends would make her more comfortable with the idea. However her busy schedule of running the inn kept them from becoming anything serious at the moment. Amongst the ruckus of his friends, he did not even notice the jester girl currently leaping from roof top to the roof top.

The buildings of East Clock Town were packed together making it easy to leap between them, with the right training. Sable often found herself climbing up to the tops of the walls to get a better view of Termina. Today would deviate from the plan as she would be abseiling down the wall as well. Running along the wooden walkways reserved for carpenters, Sable looped around to the wall near the southern gate and climbed atop a stack of old crates left over from carnival decorations. Amidst the abandoned crates, she also acquired more rope in the form decorative strings of flags.

First she threw her grappling hook upward and latched it onto the top of the wall with ease. She then proceeded the scale the wall while keeping a vigilant eye out for any carpenters needing to start work early for the day. Upon reaching the top of the wall without any problems, Sable then went ahead to knot together more rope. She knew she did not have time to enjoy the panoramic views as the first watch of the guard was due in fifteen minutes. Securing the hook on a partition of the brickwork, she nervously gazed over the side and panicked a little from the sheer height of the drop.

'_Am I really doing this? I must have gone insane overnight.'_ Her body moved on its own as she started to abseil down, answering herself with "Guess I really am crazy, huh?" She thanked the Giants that there was not much of a breeze today making the journey down rather easy.

With her feet securely on the ground she tugged the rope with all her strength to dislodge the hook. It only came loose because a guard had knocked it out of place while making his rounds for the morning. He assumed it was a misplaced carpenter tool after a feud erupted and simply kicked it out with the end of his spear. It was only until he saw the length of rope attached to it that he realised a girl was at the bottom of the wall.

"Sable! Get back here! The field aren't safe!" he cried down to her.

"Tell the captain this will be the last time! I promise!" Sable yelled back then simply ran after collecting her grappling hook.

The young guard cursed to himself "The captain's gonna have my hide for this!" as he sprinted back down into the wall in order to officially report the incident.

The trail of festive flags was cut with Sable's boot knife as she sprinted down the main southern road. That guard would wreck everything she had planned. She frantically gathered the grappling hook's tail as best she could to wrap it around her left forearm. The dark trees and vividly chromatic flowers of the Swampland beckoned to her from the distance. Clock Town was left in her dust.

* * *

The main road was a mix of compressed dirt and cobblestone, although the stone thinned out as she ventured away from the Clock Town. A sea of verdant fields surrounded her, the wind whistled in her ears and the sun shone on what would be a glorious day. Termina Field eventually retreated into the horizon the closer she travelled south. The wide open meadows fled from the thick jungles that engulfed the road. The path resembling a trail that someone had simply cut through with wild flails of a machete. The sky was partly obscured by the treetops making the air heavy and humid. Sable felt the ground squelch beneath her boots as water limited her path to higher, more secure footing.

A shiver of fear quivered her spine. Sable began to feel apprehensive as the tall ominous trees of the swampland trail towered around her. The cry of crows echoed in the dismal swamp which only puzzled her further. The hollow remains of trees blackened with age stood out amongst the forest. The change in flora suggested that tropical plants flourished in this area. Mangroves with root systems stretched over land and river like an octopus' tentacles. Palm trees rose like giants from the clear water. The shortest native wild grass and shrubs easily came up to Sable's waist as she trekked onwards. The path appeared to be somewhat used frequently with the tracks of caravans and carts set in the dirt. Large pink flowers dotted the swampy earth, adding splashes of warm colours to the greenery.

She knew something was amiss as the crows had stopped chatting loudly in the background. Her eyes carefully darted around the area as her pace quickened. The path led out to a slight clearing and a fork in the road. An old sign jutted crookedly out of the earth with two notices, one labelled 'Shooting Gallery' the other as 'Swamp Tourist Centre'. While Sable raked her brain as to which path to take, she was oblivious to the Wolfos stalking her.

Wolfos were a larger variation of wolf that were native to the north and south. They were cunning and used the natural surroundings to their advantage to hunt. Standing on their hind legs they were almost as tall as a Goron and their claws could easily end the life of a grown man with one swipe. Quietly it moved towards the unsuspecting teenager, however the sound of branches cracking nearby alerted its prey.

Sable wildly turned at what sounded like a tree falling. To her horror she found herself face to face with Wolfos, a dead also fell to the ground behind the beast. Valuing her life over discovering what exactly was going on she ran from the beast as fast as she could. The Wolfos was about to pursue her until it noticed a shadow over its head, quickly diving out of the way to narrowly evade the spiked steel ball of a large flail. Sable skidded into the mossy hollow of an old tree, hiding herself beneath various branches and shrubs. Her eyes focused on the fight unfolding before her.

The Wolfos lunged at the burly youth as he side stepped to avoid the beast. He moved methodically through the fight, evading every attack of the Wolfos while regaining momentum by swinging his two handed flail. His actions proved that he was competent with his weapon and had obviously dealt with Wolfos many times before today. The spike steel lashed out as fierce as a serpent's strike. It connected with beast's head and crushed its skull beneath its weight. The Wolfos let out a final cry as it fell lifelessly to the ground.

From her vantage point within the tree, Sable got a good look at the hunter. He was a little older than her with filthy hair that might actually be blonde if he washed it. A series of faded scars marked the right side of his face and he also appeared to be missing a tooth on that same side as he smiled over his kill. A cuirass of iron with leather stretched over it covered his chest while mail pauldrons decorated with fearsome eyes protected his shoulders. Beneath it was a long leather duster however the sleeves had been torn off to show off his muscular arms. Oddly his clunky boots curved upwards at the tips to look a little bit like a pixie did not match the rest of his outfit.

He looked over his shoulder, listening to a voice murmured by the distance. Without acknowledging her, he gathered his flail around him and then grabbed a leg of the dead Wolfos. Satisfied with his cull and leaving a trail of destruction behind him, he disappeared down the path leading to the tourist centre. Sable emerged from her hiding place trembling from the encounter. Driven by fear, she followed the same path, hoping that the hunter's presence would deter any more attackers.


	5. The Southern Swamp

Sable grew perplexed as she followed the path, the hunter appeared to have vanished. She was beginning to wonder if perhaps she had imagined the whole battle. After the confrontation with Midna, Sable could not be sure if anything she saw was real. However the fact of the matter was that she was quite helpless right now and definitely not ready to travel Termina. She hoped Koume and Kotake were nearby, she was sure her luck would run out eventually. A shadow on the ground then caught her attention and when she looked up she saw a red balloon floating overhead. Strangely there was a short man dressed in green and red like a fairy floating from it. He was madly scribbling things down on a piece of paper.

"Hey!" she called to him "Can you help me out a little?"

The bizarre little man kept ignoring her so Sable knelt down as picked up a sharp stone. With an accurate throw she sent that stone hurtling towards his balloon. The red balloon exploded in a flash of magical sparks. The man let out a short screech as he landed on the ground perfectly.

"Sorry, but I needed to get your attention," Sable said bluntly "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Me?" the little man cheered "I am Tingle the mapmaker!"

"Why are you dressed like a weirdo?"

"Weirdo? I am not a weirdo! I'm at the age of thirty five and still a believer in fairies! But looking at you, you are not a fairy."

Sable cocked an unimpressed eyebrow "How perceptive of you."

He pouted and turned his back on her "Sorry, I'm not interested in helping if you're not a fairy."

"Can you please at least tell me if you know anyone called Koume or Kotake?"

Tingle looked over his shoulder "Well, seeing as you said please. Head down this road and you'll soon come to a tourist information booth. Koume lives there, everyone knows that."

"Thankyou"

"Tingle, Tingle, Kaloo-Loompah!" he cheered as he sprinkled green fairy sparkles everywhere. Sable stared at him in confusion, this peculiar little man was started to give her the creeps. Tingle smirked "Those are Tingle's magic words. Don't steal them!"

"I won't" assured Sable as she ran off _'What the hell is wrong with that guy!? Well, at least I know where to go now.' _She was so caught in her own thoughts that she did not see the figure walking ahead of her. Finally crashing into the back of him and sending her tumbling onto the corpse of dead Wolfos. Given he was a rather solidly built individual, he was merely pushed forward and remained standing.

Onox turned around to find a jester girl had fallen on top of his kill. He helped her to her feet, he saw the Wolfos' blood now stained her blue and charcoal clothes. "Well, at least the blood isn't too obvious with those colours. Sorry about that, I was a world away there." He laughed to himself "Did not hear you coming at all."

"That's alright, I should've been watching where I was going." Sable dusted herself off as best she could, nervously averting his gaze as she realised she had left her mask at the observatory.

He noticed her peculiar appearance, giving her the look of a terminally ill patient. However he too possessed strange eyes like her, although his were bright red and only mildly bloodshot. For a moment he looked around at the swamps, thinking that perhaps she had seen a foe nearby. When that revealed nothing he smiled gently "First time on the road alone, huh? I'm Onox by the way but everyone calls me Ox. And you are?"

She nervously met his gaze "Sable, and yes, this is the first time I've ever left Clock Town and actually been to Termina."

"Nice to meet you," he bowed, his polite manners belaying his rather uncouth appearance "So what brings you to the swamps?"

"I'm looking for Koume and Kotake, I was told Koume lives at the end of this road… is that true? That strange man in tights told me, but I don't know if I trust him."

"Yeah Tingle is a complete crackpot, but he is Termina's best cartographer. Anyway I was heading near Koume's place, want to walk with me?"

"Thanks," Sable followed his lead, the chain of his flail rattling with every step Onox took. That sound alone seemed to deter any of the hungry eyes and ominous shadows lurking amidst the trees. Anxious from the surroundings and in need of a distraction, Sable asked "So what do you do Onox?"

"I work for my sister Vera, well, she's not my sister by blood but our families are friends and my folks wanted me to get some life experience so I was sent to work for her." Onox smiled broadly "I will admit it's hard because Vera likes making masks of nightmarish demons. So we travel all over Termina to look for scary monsters for inspiration. I'm sort of her…" He paused for a moment as the words came to mind "Errand boy."

Sable repeated "Errand boy?"

"Well, I act as the distraction for the monsters so Vera can draw out her designs, at a safe distance of course."

"Vera? Why does that name sound familiar…" Sable's eyes widened as she realised "You mean you work with Veran! The legendary mask maker!?" Onox nodded back to her, Sable felt herself blush "Wow! Really!? I've seen her masks and they're amazing! Every year at the Carnival of Time I look forward to seeing what designs she unveils."

Onox was dumbstruck "Really? I usually help at the stall at the carnival, how come I've never seen you?"

"I usually wear a Keaton mask over my face because people get a little uncomfortable with the way I look."

"A Keaton mask… and you always wear that jester hat and weird vest?" Sable nodded in response, he clapped as he recalled "You're that spruiker for Honey and Darling's arcade during the carnival." He laughed out loud "How come we've never met until now?"

"Probably because we're both busy working while the carnival's on."

By then they had reached the end of the southern road. Sable was welcomed by the sight of Woodfall rising from the distance. This iconic dead volcano was a landmark of the Southern Swamps and apparently led to its creation once it extinguished. The fertile soil acted as an ideal catalyst for this radical transformation. Woodfall was regarded as the main water source for the deeper part of the swamps and the Deku settlements. The mountain shone eerily with violet and purple shimmers beneath the sun. The Deku believed this was because it protected the Woodfall Temple, the resting place of the Southern Giant.

Closer to where Sable and Onox stood were the edges of Woodfall's lakes and rivers that snaked through the flora. At the edge of the riverbank was a large hut on stilts with a roof made of woven plants. The nearby shrubs had been grown in decorative rings upon the ground. A path veered off into the overgrowth alongside the flowing river. The water was partially covered in flowers and large lily pads.

"That's Koume's house right there," Onox waved to her as he headed down the other path "Well, welcome to the swamps, I'll probably see you around as Vera and I stay here for a few months before travelling again."

"Thanks Onox, you really saved me back there."

"Call me Ox! It's easier to yell." He called back to her before disappearing down the path.

Sable walked down the sturdy jetty, noticing the series of boats tied beneath the hut and floating on the river. She climbed the nearby ladder to see that a sign was nailed beside the front door listing its opening hours. Uncertainty plagued her mind once more as her hand moved to the door handle. With a soft click the door opened and she walked in.

* * *

Upon entry to the strange hut Sable saw a burly gentleman flicking through photo albums. He was too preoccupied by his books to even notice her. The large hut was decorated with various trinkets and paraphernalia tourists would be interested in purchasing. Yet the interior felt a lot larger inside than the hut appeared on the outside. The wooden walls and floors were made from the various trees she had passed on her way here.

"Oh a customer" rasped a voice from the other side of the room.

Sable noticed a dark booth in the corner with an eerie lantern glowing overhead. Sitting at the desk was an old hag with silver hair tied up in a large bun. She was dressed in strange robes coloured in black, white and reds. A red gemstone rested just above her forehead and glinted at her as the hag looked Sable over with a calculating gaze. Her eyes coming to focus on Sable's pendant as she croaked "Welcome to the Swamp Tourist Hut. How can I help you?"

Sable hesitated for a moment "Actually I was looking for a witch named Koume… a lady called Midna sent me to find her…"

The old hag chuckled "You're looking right at her, you're Stalfos and Ambi's kid, right?" she gestured to the pendant "Everyone in your family has come to visit me sooner or later, Midna really is a stickler for tradition. Then again I can't blame her given what happened in Ikana all those years ago."

"So you knew my parents?"

"Of course I did, I trained Stalfos, and his grandmother, and his great grandmother, the list goes on. My sister and I were good friends of Midna so we've been training her descendants for ages. Ambi on the other hand was a witch like us and the witch and warlock community is pretty small these days so we all know each other." Koume disappeared for a moment and opened a hidden door "I was wondering when you'd finally come here Sable, last time I saw you, you were just a baby in Ambi's arms." The witch grabbed her by the wrist "Now come along child, no need to be shy, we have so much to discuss."

The back room of the hut was Koume's home, a small apartment that consisted of her bedroom and the main room. The rooms were littered with all manner of spell books and trinkets, skulls of various beasts, most Sable could not recognise. In fact there appeared to be a wealth of ancient relics from Terminan lore displayed in this room. It only made Sable wonder just how old Koume actually was and how she had managed to live so long. A large cauldron bubbled away in the centre of the room, kept warm by a phantom flame that needed no fireplace. The room was illuminated by will o wisps creating a rather unnerving atmosphere.

"So you're the latest in a long line of shape shifters, looks like you have a lot of training to do, there's no way you're ready to take on the legendary beasts right now," Koume sat down in her arm chair, gesturing to the seat opposite her "Come, sit, does talking to a witch make you nervous child?"

Sable followed her instructions robotically as she perched on the edge of the chair "Well, I've never met one before."

"First time on the road I see… not even of human blood either"

"But… how could you-" Sable realised the stupidity of her remark "Well… people usually think I'm sick, not that I'm… you know… another race."

Koume put a finger to her lips before she remarked "I'm a real witch dearie, although we can't be overly open about it these days. We are gifted in the ancient ways of magic which is why I am here to train you."

Sable reached for her bag to retrieve her notebook. She turned to a clean page and readied her pencil "What are these legendary beasts you speak of? And how did you know my parents? I don't even remember them."

"You're interviewing me?"

She flicked through the pages to show Koume her work "No, this is for taking notes on these beasts. I… I like finding out about Terminan folklore."

"Quite studious, maybe this won't be as hard this time around, Stalfos was a nice fellow but by the Giants he was dense most of the time. Ambi was a wise one so that's probably where you got your brains from and being raised by Shikashi would've helped that too. That old fool is also a friend of ours, used to drop past here and give us cosmic maps so we could keep track of the lunar phases," Koume laughed to herself "Kotake and I trained your father in the ways of the Gomess, like we train any of the Gomess descendants, of course only if they ask us to." She smiled to herself, leaning back in the chair and floating a footstool in front of her to put her feet up "Your mother was a Terminan, but also a witch so she was somewhat familiar with what your father was."

Sable shyly admitted "To be honest I had no idea Termina had such a magic focused culture until recently."

"Terminans are modern thinkers dearie so they tend to forget the ancient ways but that is their choice." Koume cracked her bony knuckles "Sadly, Ambi passed away from sickness when you were a child and then your poor father…" she shook her head "Accidently swam to close to the shore of the Great Bay and pirates killed him thinking he was a monster. After that, Shikashi, Kotake and I had to work out what to do with you. Shikashi ended up taking you back to Clock Town, the swamps are far too dangerous for children."

"I see," Sable paused for a moment and then refocused "Anyway I came regarding this," she held up her pendant "Apparently you can help me."

"That's Midna's fused shadow alright… We're going to have to start at the basics, shape shifters need to know how to fight just as well as any warrior. Then we need to teach you how to reap souls." Koume smiled back, a flame of excitement in her eyes "Once you're good enough I'll send you to claim the soul of the Forest Fox, the legendary beast of the swamps from the Woods of Mystery. However to seal it you'll need help of the Great Fairy of the Woodfall and a Deku Scrub to draw it out." She stood on her seat "Either way there's a long road ahead of you."

Sable titled her head and nervously asked "What's a Forest Fox? I've never heard of them."

"In each region of Termina, there is a legendary beast, given Midna is your ancestor the souls of such creatures are very fitting of your lineage. You already have the soul of a dragon, the beast of the east, in that pendant of yours, but you are by no means ready to take its form." Koume clasped her hands like a wise sage "After all, a shape shifter absorbs the souls of other creatures into their body to take on their forms, there must be a mutual level of respect for one another in order to do so. That dragon does not respect you in any way as you are now." She sat down once again "The other two beasts are the Fire Salamander of the north and the Ocean Tiger of the west. You'll need the help of the Great Fairies of Snowhead and Great Bay to seal them once you've acquired their souls of course." The old witch then eyed up Sable, currently the child was nothing special yet there was a certain passion in her eyes. It shone through when she wrote her notes, a curiosity, a desire to discover hidden truths. "So, here's the deal, you live here and train every day until you can successfully bind the soul of the Forest Fox to yours. You'll live in the attic of my hut and devote yourself to the magic of the Gomess tribe." She leant over, offering a hand "Do we have a deal?"

Sable shook Koume's hand firmly "Yes, I want… no, I need to find out more about these Gomess and how they work. If I need to learn this magic to do so, then so be it."

Koume cheered "Excellent we start tomorrow!"


	6. No Longer Alone

The attic was much larger than Sable expected, perhaps another one of Koume's spells at work. It easily dwarfed the space she lived in at the observatory. Much to her surprise she could also stand quite comfortably in it. A hole in the floor led down to Koume's living room and two round windows stared at each other from opposite ends of the room. The ceiling appeared to be lined with the membranous wings of an unknown insect, probably to waterproof it. Sable placed her bag on the ground and began to unpack her belongings. An empty chest remained near one of the windows and a mattress was unfurled on the floor.

Upon closer inspection of the floor boards and supporting beams one could see an accumulation of symbols and pictures. How many of Sable's descendants followed the same rites of passage by the demands of Midna? The time frame alone boggled her mind as she tried to accurately guess how old this collection of new people in her life was. Also as to which ancient era they belonged to and if so, what mysteries in Termina's past could they unveil? The answers to these questions had gotten the better of her reasoning. If she had to learn about magic and hunting monsters to get them, then it was a necessary part of the journey.

"Ah, good, you've settled in," Koume said as she poked her head up "Now come along, it's late and it's time you meet some of the locals over dinner."

She did not want to argue with the witch out of fear of getting on the wrong side of her. Sable followed Koume out of the hut as the witch slammed a large 'closed' sign on the door. Like a duck to water, Koume mounted an old rickety broom and soared off downstream. She wildly waved back with one hand to Sable as she disappeared into the distance.

* * *

A short walk in ankle deep water downstream came to a split in the river. The right fork ventured into deeper waters and through the unknown darkness of the swamps. The left fork was where Koume had flown and appeared to be shallower, yet the plants were denser. The narrow corridor of trees and rock walls ended in a wide glade with a waterfall cascading down an eastern cliff side. Even in the south, the Stone Towers loomed over the horizon like the Eastern Giant was watching over them.

The shallow river widened to a small lake around a gigantic tree. The trunk was riddled with various ladders and wooden platforms leading to a home among the high branches. A red and white kettle shaped building perched on its nest like a fat bird. Its chimney expelling colourful clouds of smoke that faded into the sky. On the lower platforms were unfathomably large vats and pots, Sable guessed they could even fit a Goron in them.

Behind the strange tree house was an ominous opening into the forest. Although the strange darkness that cloaked the entrance screamed that those were no ordinary woods. The rest of the glade was solid ground with a path leading back to the north. A large fire pit was dug just to Sable's left on the far side of the glade. A familiar armoured caravan had set up camp near the welcoming flames. The weary horses rested on the soft earth near the clear water. The caravan was reinforced with a steel frame gilded with golden patterns. Many fearsome iron masks were also carved and bolted to the edges to proudly herald the owner's presence wherever she rode.

A large cauldron bubbled over a corner of the pit where a witch was tending to the brew. Strangely enough she appeared to be identical to Koume in every way aside from favouring blue over red in her fashion choices. She hovered over the cauldron and was tossing in various powders while balancing on her broom. Over the flames was an elaborate spit from the spears of a warrior. An animal carcass had been skinned and was now rotating over the fire under Onox's supervision.

Koume landed beside the other witch and began telling her something privately. It was not overly private though as they used a lot of exaggerated arm gestures as they spoke. Finally the witch in blue floated over to Sable who was just approaching the campsite. She dismounted her broom and smirked "So you're Stalfos and Ambi's kid? We'll see what you're made of in the weeks to come." She shot a knowing smile back to Koume who had taken over watching the cauldron. "By the way, call me Kotake, I'm Koume's beautiful twin sister."

Koume piped up defiantly "Don't listen to her, I'm the beautiful one!"

"Don't listen to her, she's as mad as a bat out of hell," Kotake jested, she then gestured to Onox who waved to Sable nervously "That is Onox, he's part Gomess like you as well, so is Veran… actually," her voice lifted to a scream, startling the nearby crows in the process "VERAN! STOP BEING RUDE!" she then glared back at Onox "And comb your hair young man, looks like lightning struck you and then you fell in a river!" In response he quickly ran his hands through his hair and tried to smooth it down. Kotake then rested her chin in her hand "That's a little better I suppose… And where is Ganny and Iris? They should've been back from picking mushrooms hours ago."

"It's nice to meet you Kotake," Sable thought afterwards _'I think?'_

The caravan door then opened as a voluptuous woman emerged, her hands were stained with ink from drawing constantly. Sable guessed her to be at least five or six years older than her. Her pale skin was slightly blue in the light of the fire and one could see the blue blood vessels that pulsed beneath it. Bright orange hair that shimmered like a flame was cut to her scalp on the right side of her head. The left side of her face was framed by long curved locks that resembled a taloned claw. She wore a tight bodice decorated with eye patterns and long sarong trailing with silver hoops at her waist. A pair of tights covered her legs and she wore matching silver bangles and anklets.

"Wow, it's really her," Sable felt giddy at meeting the young rising artist "It's really Veran."

Veran narrowed her golden eyes at Sable and muttered to herself "A half blood Gomess? I thought there weren't any in the younger generations." She noticed Sable's dumbstruck gaze "What're you looking at, kid?"

"I… uh…" Sable's face turned red "It's just I'm such a fan of your work. Your masks are so beautifully made it's like the monster has possessed the person and they're right there." She exhaled "Sorry, you must get this a lot."

"Not as often as you think," Veran laughed to herself, brushing a loose wave of hair behind her pointed ear "Well, it's nice to have another girl to talk to. I take it that we will get to know one another better." She pointed to Onox "He may be chivalrous and polite but that goes right out the window when he's angry."

He protested loudly behind them "My anger is not that bad! You know my motto is to be a gentleman at all times."

Her hands made air quotes as she reminded "If by 'at all times' you really mean, 'when you feel like it' or 'you haven't gotten carried away and remember that you have to be civil'. It's like having a pet dragon, your temper is reminiscent of a dodongo that's eaten a bomb flower." Veran smiled back at him "Lucky you have a sister like me to keep you in check."

Sable went to his defence "I don't know what you mean Miss Veran, I met Ox earlier and he was very nice to me."

"Call me Veran, and he was only nice because you're on Ox's good side," she leant in and whispered to Sable "Don't ever get on his bad side. I've seen it and it's terrifying."

The rustling of plants heralded the final companions to join the campsite. A tall dark skinned man with hair the colour of blood emerged from the Woods of Mystery. His amber eyes looked fierce yet he was dressed in rather simple dark clothes with a heavy looking pack of mushrooms on his back. Two machetes were sheathed on his thick leather belt along with a few pouches. The man was quite fearsome to behold with a powerful aura better suited to a warrior on the battlefield, not a farmer.

In tow was a much shorter Deku Scrub with bright yellow eyes. It appeared to be female with long leaves for hair that reached below her waist. Strangely she appeared to be dressed like a witch, wearing a similar dress to Koume and Kotake. The key difference was the purple gem resting at the base of her wooden neck. At first the Deku walked alongside the imposing man, then she ducked behind him once she caught sight of Sable.

He dumped his heavy pack on the ground and cracked his spine with an arch of his back "That ought to keep you in business for most of the year."

"Thankyou Ganondorf," Kotake looked to Sable "He's the grandson of Koume and I, such a good boy, collecting mushrooms for his grandmothers."

Ganondorf drained his water skin, he glanced back to Sable and nodded "Oh, another Gomess in need of training?" He smirked "Relax, I'm a warlock. You don't need to hide it from me." Sensing something was amiss, he looked between his legs "Iris? What are you doing?"

The Deku was curled up on the ground, she timidly lifted her head to catch a glimpse of Sable before burying it in the dirt again. Ganondorf scooped her up with one arm "Say hello."

Iris merely waved back nervously before leaping from his arm. She landed on the ground and scurried off to hide beneath the caravan. Veran laughed out loud, taking a seat around the fire "See what I meant Sable, you and I are probably the only sane ones here."

"How am I considered insane?" Ganondorf grumbled aloud, accusingly pointing at Koume and Kotake who were busy sorting through the mushrooms he'd gathered "I'm here because I'm related to those old hags, not because I choose to be."

She pouted at him "And yet you still won't go out with me?"

He took a seat next to her "Veran I have better things to do with my time than pursue romance."

"Like picking mushrooms."

"Well, they're part of my side business." He slyly added "Without my concoctions how would Chateau Romani get it's kick? You seriously think it's just the cows that do that?"

Veran prodded his face "And seeing strange pirate women in Great Bay."

"I do business with the Gerudo pirates, poisons are selling well at the moment." He shivered "Those women are terrifying, especially Aveil… and Nabooru."

"And-"

Ganondorf caught her hand before she could poke him again. He politely responded with an intimidating gaze "And I think you're a little too interested in my personal life. Perhaps you should find a hobby?"

Sable felt a little lost as the others became engaged with their own conversations. She took it upon herself to tend to the brewing cauldron near Onox and Iris. She looked back at the Deku who was warily keeping an eye on her. "Did I do something wrong? Is there some Deku greeting I've overlooked?"

Onox responded "Give it time, Iris is really shy and not very good with outsiders or strangers. She still won't talk to me either and I've known her for years." He then nudged her aside with a wooden spoon and leant over the cauldron. Dipping the utensil in the mix, he swallowed down the mouthful. Carefully tasting it he informed "The meat is tender, it's good to go."

Sable wrapped a glove around her hand then grabbed one handle of the cauldron, Onox took hold of the other handle to help her move it off the flames. She remarked as she noticed his bare hand keeping grip "Isn't that really hot? Actually how did you eat it without burning yourself? I could see the steam from here."

Onox sheepishly grinned and looked away. Before Sable could probe for an actual answer Koume and Kotake had become reinterested in the cooking. The evening progressed in what felt like the blink of an eye as Sable became politely introduced to the people in her new life. Too soon, she found herself walking back to Koume's hut as the bonfire and the fire pit were extinguished behind her. The moon was almost done with its daily journey to the west and soon morning would be upon them.


	7. Two Years Later

The sounds and smells of the Woods of Mystery invaded her psyche. Sable remained cross legged upon a tree stump, a blind fold obscuring her sight. Deep breath in, deep breath out, the forest was slowly coming to life in her mind's eye. Her sight taking her perspective above the tree tops as she soared across the Southern Swamps. The Deku Palace could be seen in the distance, a garish structure of red and green near Woodfall. A giant hollowed out rock served as its heart while wooden walls and partitioning the various royal gardens protected it from the wilderness. It glowed like a beacon in the night as festive music danced into the air.

A curious stone perched on a small island in the centre of the river, the witches called it a spider house. No matter how often Sable had passed it on her various trips to deliver potions to the Dekus, it still looked suspicious. The stone was similar to the one in the centre of the Deku Kingdom. A honeycomb texture shaded in reds and yellows. There was a single doorway encased in thick spider's web that never seemed to fade or snap. To this day Sable was not sure what it was built for or where it led. Her regime of training and studying kept her from venturing there in the small pockets of spare time she was given. Koume and Kotake had praised her progress so far and theoretically she was far more confident in her abilities. Yet such knowledge is only effective if it can put into practise and applied to daily life.

So far Sable had learnt how to fight with a short sword and had spent many nights sparring with Onox when he was in the region. Veran seemed to be an observer, often shouting advice to both of them on how to correct their stance. She was also always right in that regard despite never lifting a weapon in Sable's presence. The rest of the time Koume and Kotake imparted all manner of magical knowledge and the history of the Gomess clan. It was at first difficult to grasp given that neither could actually cast a shape shifting spell, yet Sable guessed that at least she could reap a monster's soul now. Very rarely did she see Ganondorf as he often wandered the various regions of Termina for reasons that only he knew.

Most evenings Sable would practise one of the difficult talents of Gomess magic, possession. For shape shifters like her, it entailed a visually unimpressive spell that allowed the caste to see through the eyes of another creature, temporarily gain its instincts and allowed them to listen to their thoughts. However it proved useful in day to day life, her vision shifted from the hawk flying overhead to a lower perspective on the forest floor. She found that she was now looking at herself.

A Wolfos had caught her scent at the edges of the forest and had followed her here. The jester girl looked every bit the fool with a blind fold over her in eyes in such a dangerous place. Nevertheless, a hunter was never picky about their prey in these circumstances. Soft footsteps crept up to Sable as the Wolfos moved to strike a mortal blow. It did not prove quick enough as the blade of a sword was buried between its eyes.

Sable removed her headband, blinking for a few moments as her sight returned to her own body. She removed her blade from the Wolfos and examined the body, while the meat of this creature looked too tough to eat, the fur and bones would find a use for their lifestyle. The Woods of Mystery spat her back out as she purposely went into a darkened tunnel. The forest seemed to shift and reorganise itself every hour so it was near impossible to map or even navigate properly. She approached the campsite of Veran's caravan expecting to meet the others and start preparing dinner.

Panic was rife at the campsite as Koume attempted to console her sister. Arm around Kotake's shoulder as she said "Veran and Onox have already gone off, they'll find Iris."

Kotake was on the verge of tears "But I haven't seen her for days! She might already be-"

"We still need to find out where she is, regardless of whether she's dead or alive."

The two witches turned to see Sable walking towards the camp, she said out loud "What's happened? Where is everyone?"

"As you've noticed, Iris has been missing for a while now," Koume explained on behalf of Kotake "I fear she may have been taken by the monster in the Fearful Spider House. The others have already gone to look for her." She bluntly ordered "You should go too, they might need your help. It's on that island in between the palace and Woodfall."

Sable nodded, dropping the carcass near the campsite before running off in the direction of the house. Ensuring she had left, Koume and Kotake looked at each other and winked. The plan had worked better than they expected and now it was time to see if their pupils had learnt anything.

* * *

The web encased entrance to the Fearful Spider House did not bar their path for long. Veran nodded to Onox who in turn focused his own magic. His body first became enveloped in darkness as he shifted into the form of a large dodongo. The hulking reptilian beast arched upwards on its front claws while inhaling its breath. A swirl of flames began to gather in its fanged maw. Veran walked past the beast and near its tail. Onox spat out a monstrous fireball at the entrance, burning the thick layers of hardened spider web into ashes. The dodongo's body swirled with darkness and light as he reverted back to his human form. He gave Veran a thumbs up as he armed his flail and descended the ancient stairs. Veran merely shook her head at him and questioned as to why his flames did not leave a mark on the stone exterior.

They came to a chamber bellow the river and hidden in the earth. A curious gold and red door adorned by elaborate spider designs beckoned to them. Two torches remained ignited to reveal the smooth stone walls and dirt covered floor. Onox took the lead once more as he tapped on the door with his knuckles. It responded to his presence, abruptly sliding upwards to reveal the palace it concealed.

Never before had seen such grand architecture and the very idea it was hidden beneath a swamp was inconceivable. The grand entrance chamber was flowing with freshwater from an elaborate series of golden framed channels. Despite being an ancient place the interior looked polished like someone or something still lived here. The architecture was reminiscent of an era of opulence and decadence with spider decorations woven into every little detail. There had been tales of a palace in the swamp that sank beneath its own weight, Veran never expected a child's bedtime story to hold some semblance of truth.

Large Deku flowers with bright pink petals contrasted against the excessive beauty of the palace. They were an element of natural chaos in an otherwise flawless structure of man. Veran put a hand to Onox's shoulder and leaned close to him "Be careful, there is a powerful hex on this place."

Her warning fell on deaf ears, Onox pointed to the golden totem in the centre of the room "Look! We found her!"

Iris was now bound to the column by a tangle of webs, her head lowered and she did not seem to be moving. In a panic Onox started to shift into a dodongo once more until Veran slapped him harshly on the back of his head. "You moron, you'll burn her up too! Remember, Dekus and fire don't mix."

He paused for a moment to think about which other of his forms could be of use. A response came with a perplexed look and shrugged shoulders from him. Veran wagged a finger at him and mocked "That's what you get for being obsessed with lizards and dinosaurs. You don't have the utility a shape shifter is supposed to have."

"What stick is lodged up your backside today?" Onox retorted "Still in a foul mood because of Ganondorf?"

Veran pouted immaturely "A boy like you wouldn't understand."

"I understand that you like-liked him until he sent that letter to Koume and Kotake saying he was now a pirate with that Captain Nabooru and that they've sailed to the west to look for more islands." He kept talking despite Veran's death glare "No offence but Ganondorf is what? Ten years older than you at least, he's a completely different generation. He'd never go out with you in a million years."

"SILENCE YOU BRAT!" Veran waved her arm to summon a series of tendrils from Onox's own shadow. They wrapped around his limbs and bound his movement. Her face contorted with rage yet her voice remained level and eerily calm "I know that, but it doesn't make it hurt any less!"

"Veran…" Onox's eyes widened "Jump to the left."

Veran did not heed his warning and instead turned around. A giant spider was crawling along the ceiling, its body gleaming gold from the ore fused onto its exoskeleton. Its eyes were obscured by a helmet of shining metal as its fanged mouth stretched wide. Spinnerets wove in perfect synchrony as it shot a stream of spider silk towards Veran. She was knocked out of the way at the last minute, the web entangling around Onox in her stead.

"What is that thing?" Sable responded, picking herself off the floor and helping Veran to her feet "We need a strategy for something that huge!"

Veran cracked her knuckles, dissipating the foolish shadow bind she had cast on Onox, she took a fighting stance "First we should worry about Ox."

The arachnid monster reared up as it howled at the intruders once more. Sable grabbed Veran by the wrist, dragging her towards a nearby doorway "We need a plan and we can't think with this thing chasing us."

Veran nodded in response as they both sprinted to the door. The spider lunged from the ceiling to crash where they stood. It raced to the human sized doorway, screaming in frustration while it poked its legs through the tiny hole. Its prey had disappeared for now.

The room on the other side of the doorway looked as though it led to the upper floors of the entrance hall. Vines invaded the walls and coiled around the various pots stored there. A single Deku snored away in its yellow flower with a sign nearby that read 'Play the pipes of awakening'.

Sable read the notice and jested to Veran "You any good at music?"

She snorted back to her "As if a Deku could help us now. Besides where did you come from anyway?"

"I just came from the forest to find Koume and Kotake worried. They told me you guys headed this way and I thought you might need help."

"A shape shifter who can't even transform, what good are you?"

Sable frowned at the slender woman "Well, I'm not going to get any better by avoiding these situations." Veran was grabbed by her elaborately jewelled collar, Sable's patience had worn thin as she strongly reiterated "Regardless of what's happened we need a plan, now, perhaps I can use possession to get into that creature's head and work out its weakness?"

"You couldn't possibly gain control of a creature that big!?"

"Well I don't think it'd work to our advantage if you're the one possessing it. You need to be able to use the rest of your magic too!"

Veran's face softened and changed back to its usual calm demeanour. A certain look of fear in Sable's eyes betrayed her actions. As the eldest person here, Veran took the lead "You're right, we need to keep calm and play to our strengths, so… if we can get at the right angle I can impale that creature on its own shadow… but that exoskeleton is going to be hard to crack. We need to pry it open a little."

"So do we need to take control of a light source for you to use your magic?"

"Lucky for us the angle of the torches in this place casts a shadow below us. At the same time I don't know which point of that spider will kill it instantly and once it works out our tricks it may change its strategy." Veran sighed "No, what we need to do is get Onox freed so he can take out a few of its legs with that flail of his." She glanced back to Sable "Can you do a possession while on the move? I need a distraction for this to work." Dark energy pulsed from her hands as she reached out to Sable. A calming smile on her face "This won't hurt… much."

The pain that followed was bizarre, an agonising surge resonated from the soles of Sable's feet. However her body felt lighter once it had passed, like a sinking weight had been severed from her. There was no longer shadow cast by her body beneath the light. Her hands were swirling with unknown angular runes glowing with a faint line of red.

Veran gestured to the door, the spider had stopped bashing on the adjacent wall and was now most likely waiting for them to emerge. Sable took a deep ragged breath, the runes crawled all over her skin like insects and it took all her discipline not to scream from the sensation. She advanced forward and entered the entrance hall once more.


	8. The Fearful Spider House

Onox struggled against the webbing, his brute strength allowed him to tear his arm and one of his legs free. His flail and other limbs were still bound in the hardened spider silk. A shadow appeared over him, he still valiantly kept trying to break free of his cocoon even as the spider descended. For a second the arachnid faltered as it wavered from the ceiling. It felt light headed in that instant and could then smell another in the chamber. Diverting its attention from Onox, the spider landed on the floor to face Sable. Only this time her form was wavering with dark magic and she had her dagger and short sword armed.

She balanced on the balls of her feet to aid with either attacking or evading. Sable raised her blades and braced for the spider to attack. Her eyes closed momentarily, a deep breath in and out, they opened to reveal that she had the green eyes of a spider. Eerily she also found herself looking back at her from her foe's perspective. The effect was disorientating at first, but months of practise had attuned her to moving while invading the sight of another.

The spider lunged forward, a spiked chitin leg moved with the precision of a spear as it threatened to impale Sable. She leapt backwards into the ankle deep channel that decorated the floor. A rune parted from her skin to become a silhouette copy of herself. The spider wildly kept striking at her, yet she kept nimbly evading its movements. With each stab of a leg and each evasion, another rune slid off her form to create another shadow copy. The copies moved on their own, blindly moving forward to strike at the spider and overwhelming the creature.

Sable could sense its panic rise as its attention shifted to the swarm of shadow puppets from Veran's enchantment. Focusing deeper into the spider's mind, she could feel how its body moved and felt a slight limp on the left side. One of the legs had possibly been damaged making it a pivotal opportunity. The weight of the spider was also heavy around the abdomen, only supported by a narrow waist. Large vessels churning continuously through that tapered passage also presenting another target.

As the distraction proved successful, Veran was now by Onox's side with a conjured blade of darkness in hand. It hacked through some of the bindings and combined with his efforts, he was able to struggle free of the web. His precious flail remained suspended in the hardened cocoon and judging by the rate the spider was eliminating the shadow puppets, Sable was running out of time.

Veran snapped a command to him "Take out the legs, we'll do the rest."

Onox shouted to Sable "Which side?"

"Left!" She jumped back, the spider collided with a nearby pillar, temporarily stunning it.

Wasting no time, Onox began to run towards the creature, his body seamlessly transforming into a dodongo in the movement. Now as a hulking monster he curled up into a ball and rolled towards the spider's left side with great speed. The spiked and hardened hide of the dodongo effortlessly crashed through the four legs and brought the spider to become lopsided. The arachnid howled as Onox raced past, bouncing off a nearby wall and struck the creature in the face forcing it back.

Sable used this attack to cease her possession of the spider. Back in her own body she charged forward, blades in hand, to slide along the ground. She passed the underbelly of the spider as Onox collided with its face. The exoskeleton around its waist was pulsing with connective tissue. Swift movements of her sword weakened the net of protective chitin. Veran then waved her hands and performed the killing blow as the spider's own shadow contorted into a spiked pillar. The monster let out a final scream as it became impaled. The uneven distribution of weight in its body resulted in the spider splitting in half over the shadowy spear.

As it breathed its last, the spider finally spoke "My curse will always live on…" Its remains erupted into writhing golden skulltulas that quickly dispersed through the palace. In its wake, there was a cyclops mask with a smiling face and tear running from its eye left on the floor.

In a moment of poor judgement, Onox reverted to his human form in mid-air overwhelmed with a sense of victory then embarrassment as he crashed into the floor. He picked himself up, shaking off any aches and pains. Sable was still on the ground and was utterly mesmerised by him. She seemed oblivious to the bloody gashes on her legs and her torn pant legs inflicted from her daring move. "That was amazing," she gasped as she picked herself up, knees shaking a little "So that's what it looks like when someone shape shifts. Ox I had no idea you could even use magic!"

He felt his face burn as he shyly admitted "Well, I'm better at that side of Gomess magic."

"Get over here," Veran called from the opposite side of the room, she pointed to the strange mask left by the spider "And don't touch that. Don't even look at it!"

"Alright, we're coming," Onox said, he walked over to her in a few steps with Sable in tow "How are we going to get Iris down anyway?"

"Let me sit on your shoulders, I'll cut her down." Sable remarked as she climbed up his back. Onox stood before the golden totem where Iris remained unconscious. In the meantime Veran finished cutting his flail free from the remains of the web with her shadow blade.

The tight bindings loosened around Iris' frame, her mind stirred as she tried to open her eyes and lift her head. She found herself face to face with Sable. In her entranced state, she could have sworn that she heard the sounds of fighting. But she never would have guessed that it actually was happening. Her body fell away from the totem and landed over Sable's shoulder. Iris heard her say "We got you now, it'll be alright."

Onox lifted Sable to the ground, then proceeded to collect his trustworthy flail and secure it to himself. He then turned to Sable, his arms outstretched "I'll carry her the rest of the way."

Sable answered "She's pretty light, I can manage."

He pointed to her blood smeared legs "But you're wounded."

"I can still walk fine. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Then you leave me no other choice," Onox coldly replied as he cradled Sable in his arms "I'm doing this for your own good."

"I'm not that helpless anymore! I can do things now."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't offer to help you sometimes."

"Doesn't count as offering when you go ahead and do it regardless of what the answer is."

"Don't argue or else we'll be here all night." Veran complained, she was already ascending the stairs that led out of the Fearful Spider House. For the past week she had been wallowing in her own sorrow and feeling miserable about herself. Tonight this was shifted as she was reminded about what was really important to her. The battle with that spider merely reinvigorated her creativity and love for crafting monstrous masks. Perhaps she would make a mask for herself to commemorate the encounter.

* * *

The heavenly scent of snapper and wolfos stew wafted through the air. Onox quickened his pace through the swamplands even though he was still carrying both Iris and Sable. A laugh escaped Veran as she remained at her leisurely pace. The moon was heading towards the west by now signalling that it was the early hours of the morning. The trees and waters parted to reveal the glade where Kotake's potion shop resided. The two witches were watching over the fire pit and the bonfire welcomed them back with an alluring glow of warmth. Koume remained by the flames while Kotake immediately ran towards them. A bottle of blue potion in hand and a wide smile on her face "You found her! Iris! I'm so glad you're safe."

Onox finally put Sable and Iris on the ground then went straight over to Koume, gesturing to one of the large pots "Is that for me?" his stomach chose that moment to complain loudly. He nervously crossed an arm over his abdomen "I'm afraid I'm a little impatient tonight."

"That's what happens when you turn into creatures that are much larger than you are," Koume nodded and added "Give it a few more minutes, boy." She saw him eyeing up a nearby crow and swatted his head with a wooden spoon "And no snacking!"

Veran entered the glade to see that some normalcy had been restored or about as normal as things got when your parental figures were witches. Kotake smiled to Iris as the Deku stood on her own, the effects of the spider's venom had weakened thanks to the blue potion. The old witch froze a crystal of ice from the moisture of the air and gave it to Iris "Here, it'll help the burning in your body."

Iris took the crystal and swallowed it whole like a tablet, tilting her head back in the process. "Thankyou Mistress Kotake, that feels much better."

As they approached the bonfire, Sable queried "What was that big spider anyway? And how did it get Iris?"

"That spider is the remains of the king of that sunken palace." Kotake grinned wickedly "Ages ago, the Deku were at war with Terminans, both wanted supremacy of the swamps. But the Terminans were foolish because they tried to build palaces and cities of opulence." She let out a shrewd laugh "Their precious buildings sunk bellow the swamp, it was hilarious."

With the stew deemed ready, Koume served up bowls of the aromatic meal. A strange greenish concoction riddled with pieces of meat, roots and plants found in the swamp. While it appeared to be unappetising, the taste was phenomenally exquisite. Their various apprentices remained around the fire to eat without interruption as they carried on.

"Oh you mean that old king, greedy fool he was." Koume chimed in as she continued the tale "Had the nerve to ask Kotake and I to raise his city to the sky. So we cursed him to become a spider monster, seemed fair at the time." She nodded to herself "Actually it's still fair now, he had it coming."

"Sadly it means he still has a bit of a vendetta against Dekus, which is why I warned Iris not to leave the glade today." Kotake frowned at her youngest apprentice.

"I realise that, but I got distracted in the Woods of Mystery, a snapper turtle was chasing me so I took longer than expected on my way home." Iris nervously admitted "It happened so quickly, I didn't even get a chance to cast a spell."

Koume mounted her broom "What's done is done child, regret is a wasted emotion."

"What matters is that you learn from your mistakes. That goes for all of you." Kotake bowed to them all "We both have early starts tomorrow, goodnight."

The two ancient hags departed the campsite on their brooms. Their apprentices often wondered what precisely they got up to when they were not teaching or running their respective businesses. In all honesty, they dare not pry into such business. Koume and Kotake may have been supportive in training them, yet there was still something terrifying about them. A wicked glint in their eyes from a lifetime of chaos and mayhem, given their long lifespans so far there was no telling what kind of magical pandemonium they wrought in their youth, in the more dangerous eras of Termina's history.

The bonfire kept dancing amidst the night as the apprentices remained seated around it in quiet contemplation. Veran finally rose from her seat, she waved to them without saying another word as she retired to her caravan for the night. Onox was still eating, abandoning his bowl and instead feeding from the pot as he took care of the leftovers. His desire to be polite was overwhelmed by the need for his hunger to be sated.

"You got something on your-" Sable laughed at his messy face "everywhere… how did you even get it in your hair?"

"Forgive my rudeness, it's just when you shape shift it really drains you so you need to recover afterwards. Not to mention the lingering beast instincts too…" Onox informed, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand "Seeing as we're packing up and leaving tomorrow I can't just sleep it off."

She tilted her head at him "So you stuff yourself instead?"

"I found it's the most effective way for me. Then again everyone is different, I'm sure you'll work out your own recovery methods once you've claimed a few souls."

"Does it hurt?"

He continued scrapping the bottom of the pot "Well… when I clearly overeat it does, also if Vera makes me run around a lot I sometimes throw up."

"No not that," Sable laughed nervously "I meant shape shifting."

"Oh that! Sorry, I misunderstood," Onox chuckled to himself "It's a little disorientating at first but then you get used to the monster's body and can use it like your own. As for hurt, the actual transformation aches the first time, but it's not too bad afterwards."

Iris nervously raised her hand to get their attention. She was almost a true wallflower in the way she could remain unnoticed. "Can… can I ask you two something?"

Sable replied on behalf of Onox, who was still busy eating "Yeah, shoot."

She blinked "What?"

"You know, tell us."

"Oh yes… um… shoot. Well, why did you help me at the spider house? Is it because the mistresses told you to?"

"Well… to be honest…" she looked to Onox for help but he shrugged back at her "We don't really know. Seems kinda silly doesn't it?"

"A bit, I mean, I don't really talk to any of you… I'm a little afraid to… you're all a little scary looking…"

"Our appearances are a little different because we're part Gomess," Onox interjected "But you shouldn't be scared, we're not bad people."

Sable then offered "I guess we helped because we wanted to."

"But that makes no sense," Iris sighed out loud "It's not that I'm ungrateful it's just people only do things for a reward so… what you're saying is completely illogical."

Sable laughed a little "Not everything needs a complex explanation, besides, not everyone is like that Iris. You need to trust people a little more."

It had obviously struck a nerve as Iris stood abruptly, she formally said "Thankyou for saving me, but now I have to go to bed."

Onox and Sable exchanged puzzled looks as the little Deku stomped off towards Kotake's home.


	9. The Great Fairy of Woodfall

Another day of running errands for the witches had passed uneventfully. The fight in the spider house had gifted Sable with a day off from her training. However watching Veran's caravan depart the swamps for another year was always a sad sight. As far as Sable knew they were the only other Gomess in Termina still practising magic and as a result she felt a certain kinship with them. She did not know if they regarded her in the same way or perhaps Onox and Veran were being nice because she was a half blood. Presently, Sable could not make that differentiation.

The clock ticked away in the attic and chimed as it came to midnight. Sable lied down on her mattress with pencil and book in hand as she continued documenting all the things she had learnt. In her brief stay with Koume and Kotake she had been taught so many details about the Gomess and their culture. However Sable knew that in order to fully confirm what she had learnt she would need to travel to the remains of the Gomess stronghold, the Stone Towers. That journey could wait until she was firstly more experienced and secondly familiar with the workings of the curse on Ikana. It would be suicide to wander into the Eastern Valley unprepared.

A knock rattled at her window, then another like the pitter patter of rain. The window revealed a clear sky with no clouds in sight. A small stone then hit the glass once more, rousing Sable from her work. She looked out the window to see Iris standing on the riverbank. As quietly as she could Sable left the tourist hut to speak with her. "Hey Iris, do you feel better?"

"Yes, um…" Iris looked to her feet briefly "Can you come with me to the Woods of Mystery? I need to show you something." Her eyes looked to the fused shadow around Sable's neck "You're Midna's descendant right? Koume and Kotake keep something for you in the forest. Recently though I've been in charge of keeping it safe, in light of what happened last night… I think it's time I gave it to you."

They ventured back through the swamps to the Woods of Mystery. A fitting title given that no one in Termina knew how they came to be or why they possessed such disorientating qualities. Even over the past two years Sable had watched foolhardy adventurers attempt to explore it but never return once they entered. There was something so peculiar about these woods, it felt more like a labyrinth that shifted according to the whim of nature. Stone walls barred cheating by looking into the distance for help while inky darkness cloaked the path ahead in each tunnel carved from the inside of a tree.

Iris however seemed to know exactly where she was going. She led Sable through the darkened forest and quietly past the sleeping monsters. Iris tossed a fine powder from the satchel tied around her. Fine particles of a purple dust dissipated into vapour. The only explanation she offered was "To keep us safe."

"So Iris…" whispered Sable

She replied quietly "Yes?"

"How come you don't say 'peep' like most Dekus?"

"Maybe because I grew up around Mistress Kotake, I'm used to talking like a Terminan."

"No offence but I doubt Koume and Kotake are Terminan."

"Then again, neither are you."

"Point taken," Sable narrowed her eyes "How did you end up living with the witches anyway?"

Iris calmly answered "I'm not sure if I'm ready to share that story with you. Please don't be offended."

Sable smiled back "It's alright, I get it, you don't like blindly trusting people. Nothing wrong with that, people can be jerks for the most part."

Iris paused momentarily, glancing back at Sable with confused eyes. "No one has ever said something like that to me before… they… they just call me anti-social."

Sable cupped her chin "I'd call you painfully shy, not anti-social. But you'll maybe get over it when you're older, I mean you're around my age aren't you? So you have plenty of time to learn to be comfortable with yourself."

The Deku titled her head "You're a very strange person, why are you so calm about this?"

"I was… well, not an outcast, just… treated a little differently because of the way I look." Sable nervously admitted "It bothered me a lot when I was younger, but I learnt that there are so many things you can do with your life. So rather than feel sorry for myself, you just have to find a more productive use of your time." She sighed, realising that she had just spilled more details about herself than intended "What is it that you wanted to give me anyway?"

"The Forest Fox." Iris did not turn back as she kept walking through the forest.

"Wait, what?" Sable shook her head "How can you just give it to me?"

"You'll see."

The moon passed overhead to mark the passage of time while they meandered through the woods. The plants appearing more ancient as Iris led Sable into the deepest reaches of the forest. They finally came to a clearing riddled with vines and roots. The largest deku flowers Sable had ever seen were in bloom. A small pond of crystal clear water was concealed beneath the petals. Iris gestured to it and nodded to Sable.

Unsure of what was to come, Sable took a hesitant step forward while her hand hovered over the hilt of her sword. Emerald light shone throughout the glade to materialise into a figure. The light receded to reveal a green fox with dark stripes running along its streamlined body. Its legs and paws were similar to an insect rather than a fox though with hardened exoskeleton beneath the bristles of hair. Hidden within its tail was a large stinger, much like a scorpion. Ragged fur bristled up like thorns across its skin, a strange star shaped mark was branded into its forehead. It paced around Sable, eyeing her up with its bright green eyes. Slit pupils constricted and dilated as the voice of a young man spoke "A child of the Gomess, a descendant of Midna, yes?"

Sable nervously waved to the creature "Hey there… um… Mr fox? At least I think you're a fox… or maybe a bug?"

"I witnessed your act of courage in the Fearful Spider House through Iris' soul. You fought very well and cooperated with your friends. I have also seen your diligence in perfecting your craft and attaining wisdom over your brief stay here. It's quite admirable."

"Thankyou but I still have a lot to learn."

"True, you are rough around the edges, but I see a potential in you. I would like to contribute my power to yours so that you may become stronger."

"So are we supposed to fight now?"

"I'm afraid not, I am merely a ghost. I died centuries ago. However, I was able to trap my soul in my corporeal body. Koume and Kotake guarded it from falling into the wrong hands and Iris continued as my guardian. But now, I can finally sleep as I give my powers to you."

"But why? What is so special about me? I can't even shape shift yet."

"In time you will, and when that happens I'll be there to help you." said the ghost before it faded away.

Iris approached the pond and reached down into the water. The pond was made from Kotake's ice magic so it was permanently cold to preserve the precious treasure. She turned and was carrying the body the fox's ghost had spoken of. A stillborn fox, so tiny and delicate, was curled up in a frozen amniotic sack. "Sable, here. Take this body to the Great Fairy of Woodfall."

Sable took the body delicately finding that it fit in her cupped hands perfectly. She muttered "But the ghost… it seemed so old"

"The body may have died but the spirit lived on. Now he can finally be at peace, you should feel proud, you earned the respect of a legendary beast."

"Thankyou Iris… I know this is a big deal for you."

"It's alright, consider it repayment for saving my life."

Sable bowed to Iris then carefully placed the frozen fox into her satchel. Passage through any of the wooden tunnels spirited her back to Kotake's glade. In the dead of night she ventured back through the swamp towards Woodfall.

* * *

Upon reaching the outskirts of the Deku Palace, Sable spied the various walkways in the side of the ancient mountain. Overgrowth of vines across the stone ridges provided ample ways to venture upwards without the aid of a Deku flower. The ground was coated in an emerald moss as Sable carefully leapt over a gap in the path. She pressed herself against the wall and balanced on the ledge, getting soaked by a waterfall in the process. A stone monument with notes carved into its surface passed her as she entered the framed opening into Woodfall's crater.

The hollowed out crater was a relic of the monstrous volcano that once stood in the south. Legends told that the fire died out by the will of Southern Giant who then claimed the land for itself. Under its protection the rains returned to the scorched earth and soon the verdant swamps grew. Now Woodfall stood as one the few sanctuaries left in Termina where nature was in a perfect tranquil balance. A simple angular temple remained in its centre surrounded by the unblemished water that nourished all the swamps.

Wooden platforms were woven around the water and between the lilies and ancient trees that had grown. These walkways were built by Dekus so they could travel to the Woodfall Temple with ease. If Sable's research was correct then they often went on pilgrimages to this sacred site, not only to worship the Southern Giant but to also appease its shadow, Odolwa. Her path took her to a grand pedestal rising amongst the nature marked by the royal Deku crest. She let out a sigh "So close… so close…" as she eyed the temple nearby and kept walking.

Koume and Kotake had told her that the Great Fairy dwelled in a cavern just past the Deku crest. From surveying the surroundings, she saw the cave in question at the opposite edge of Woodfall. Without hesitation, Sable travelled towards it while bathing in the calm silence of the night. The melody of constantly running water and the watchful eye of the moon overhead, she made it to the cave opening. Only she found it very high above her and with no real way to reach it. A grappling hook was thrown upwards and met its mark as it dug into the stone directly above. Ensuring the grip was strong, Sable began to scale the wall and finally entered the lair of the Great Fairy.

The wall of rock thinned out to polished white tiles then darkness. Rain sparkling with pink light fell all around her and water pooled around the path she walked. They shoved away the darkness to frame an elegantly structured fountain. The shallow disc of water rimmed with white stone rippled despite the lack of a breeze in the chamber.

A feminine laugh howled in the cavern making Sable cringe with fear. The water of the fountain danced as a celestial form solidified from the fluid. It was a beautiful woman with her body wrapped in vines and leaves. Her hair was bright pink and floated around her form. Her bright pink eyes looked down upon Sable and with a smile she said "Welcome Gomess child."

"How did you know…" muttered Sable as she recomposed herself

"About you? I'm very familiar with your kin. I am the Great Fairy of Woodfall."

Sable retrieved the remains of the Forest Fox from her satchel, she presented it by raising it towards the fairy "I need help with binding this soul to mine. Will you help me?"

The fairy laughed again as opened her outstretched arms to Sable. Pink light danced around both of them as Sable felt light as a feather. Her body levitating as the stillborn fox finally opened its eyes. 

The Woods of Mystery were bathed in emerald light as they swirled into existence. Sable felt her feet touch the ground again yet could not feel the wind or even hear the rustling of the leaves. The time locked forest rose around her like an audience to watch the grand spectacle unfold. The Forest Fox appeared once more, appearing more ethereal than corporeal. The beast bowed to her and she in turn bowed back.

The fox spoke to her "When you need me, I will always answer you call."

"Must I do this reaping?" Sable nervously enquired "It feels rather… monstrous."

"Not at all, you have given me a chance to rest as my spirit has finally found a place in life. I beg of you, child of the Gomess, take my soul so I can sleep."

Sable raised a hand, her arm enveloping in darkness as it stretched out with swirling tendrils. They lashed out in an instant, wrapping around the fox and clawing at its form. She finally grasped at what she sought, it felt like a hard gemstone. With all her might she ripped out an emerald star of light, the darkness consuming it and returning to Sable's form. The shadows faded away in specks of black from her arm to reveal its normal state. The ghost of the fox faded into nothing with a shrill howl.

She gazed at her hands, seeing a pulse of green light crawl over her skin to the beat of her heart. The light faded as the Woods of Mystery sank into darkness. 

The scenery rose around her as the Fairy Fountain came into view. Sable was standing before the fountain once more in the audience of the Great Fairy. The stillborn fox was gone from her hands and there was strange sensation in her mind. It was not pain though, it just felt like knowledge had been revealed. She could sense the swamps in all its intricacies now and feel the presence of trees like they were sentient beings. "What… what's happened?"

"You witnessed the true form of the beast's soul. It is now part of you and will willingly accept you as a master," informed the fairy, she floated overhead with a calm demeanour "Surely you can feel its mind meld into yours?"

Sable nodded thoughtfully "But how do I shape shift?"

"When the time is right you will know what to do. Now go to the North and seek out the Great Fairy of Snowhead. She will help you claim the next beast soul."

With another howling cackle, the Great Fairy danced back into the water. Sable remained frozen the spot for a few moments, her mind reeling from what had just happened. A cautious inspection of her arms revealed that the light had disappeared and her body appeared to be free of any injuries. Doubt vanished from her mind as she left the fountain and returned to the swamp. The waters of Woodfall were bathed in the light of dawn.


	10. It's dangerous to go alone

The door of the tourist hut clicked open, diverting Koume's interest in reading through an old tome. Her reflexes prompted her to immediately close it and conceal it beneath the counter. After all, a witch's spellbook was a very intimate document and it was quite rude to reveal it in public. A sense of relief washed over her as it was only Sable returning from the swamps. However there was now something different about her apprentice, a new sense of maturity in her eyes that had not been there last night. Koume then smiled broadly "It happened, didn't it?"

Her excitement got the better of her as she barged out from behind the counter. Running up to Sable, she nearly cheered out loud "You reaped your first soul? You've been accepted by the Forest Fox, yes?"

Sable appeared drained, her shoulders slouched as her head gently nodded.

Koume clapped her hands "Fantastic! Do you know what this means child?"

She shook her head, her mind still unsure of how to phrase a response.

"It means we have nothing more to teach you!" Koume cackled "You can start exploring Termina now and putting your training into your daily life!"

Sable leant against the wall, she finally said "I have to go to Snowhead now… but it's winter in the mountains now, isn't that dangerous?"

Koume pondered her apprentice's valid concern and smiled "If you go alone, but I have an idea." She headed over to the door and said "Mind the counter until I get back, then rest up because you're leaving for the mountains in the morning."

The door slammed shut, Sable grumbled to herself "Why do I never get a say in these things?"

Koume's head poked through a nearby window "Because you're a child and you don't know what you want."

Sable practically leapt away from the window and crashed onto the floor. By the time she looked back Koume was gone. Shaking her head she clambered to her feet and walked behind the counter. It proved to be perfect timing as a gaggle of eager tourists entered demanding information about the Deku Palace.

* * *

The following morning Sable and Iris found themselves being evicted from their accommodation in the swamp. They stood before Koume and Kotake at the beginning of the southern road. The plant life receded back into the murky darkness to avoid the artificial path. Sable felt more confident now with a sheathed blade by her side and her pack felt lighter than it did when she first arrived. Then again she was older now so she had grown a little taller and become more athletic. Iris had not grown in any visible way as she stood beside Sable, barely reaching the height of her chest. A heavy satchel was strapped around her body that would have been a shoulder bag on an adult Terminan. She also appeared to wield a broom as her weapon of choice. Concern showed in Iris' eyes as she sheepishly looked around.

Koume and Kotake were talking lively amongst themselves. Both were rather distraught with losing their apprentices as they had grown fond of having them in the swamp. Koume sighed, wiping a tear away as she reminded "If the apprentice can leave, then the master has done their job."

Kotake sniffed back a tear "After all, you do your real learning by experience."

"And you're both so talented."

"But you can't learn anything else from us."

Iris looked to her broom "Why am I taking this? I don't know how to fly."

"You'll learn soon enough, but first you need to be confident."

"That's right child," Koume nodded knowingly "You'll know when you're ready to try flying."

Iris shuffled her feet anxiously, looking up at Sable and saying quietly "I promise I won't get in your way. I'll be as unobtrusive as possible."

She readjusted her jester hat, ensuring it was firm around her head "I will admit I feel better about travelling with someone by my side."

Kotake gestured, sending her long sleeves aflutter "Well, off you go girls, time to spread your wings and explore the land gifted to us by the Giants."

Koume stamped her foot "And you better damn well visit every so often!"

Sable and Iris bowed graciously to their teachers, after all they chose to impart their knowledge to them. They kept waving to one another as the apprentices departed the swamp and began to follow the path ahead. The two witches faded into the swamplands as the foreboding yet familiar plants engulfed the road leading back to the fields.

* * *

Termina field had not changed much since Sable last ventured through. She expected that Clock Town had, her gaze focusing on the settlement in the horizon as they ventured north. Curiosity got the better of her as she pondered how Shikashi was, if Anju and Kafei finally got together as a couple, whether or not Captain Viscen had finally forgiven her, had the Bombers finally found a purpose in town and the possibility of Mutoh's dog being trained. Aside from the town, the fields were mostly vast open expanses of land devoid of any real character. In Termina one could visually see changes in the earth depending on which direction they travelled. It was almost peculiar that the central fields would remain so bland in comparison.

Given this was her first journey outside the southern swamps, Iris was ecstatic. Her mind took in every little detail around her like a hyperactive child. She pointed to the town in the distance and the curious tower that rose above it. "What's that big city over there?"

Sable answered "That's Clock Town"

"That's where you lived?"

"Not exactly. I lived with the Astronomer over there." she gestured over to a blue building fenced off from the dangers of the field. A large telescope was perched on the roof of the strange house. The bright blue paint work was dotted with various constellations. Sable could still remember painting them with Shikashi when she was a child.

Iris' eyes widened as she noticed the terrain ahead, it was barren and dried up, completely devoid of any life form. She trembled from the sight of it and refused to step further. Stone pillars riddled with unusual faces stared back at her in accusation.

"Iris?" asked Sable, turning on her heels as she noticed the Deku not keeping pace with her "Is something wrong?"

"That land over there… it's haunted."

"Yeah, this is the eastern part of Termina Field, the remains of the Ikana Kingdom are hidden in these valleys somewhere. We can go through here to arrive at the northern region and the mountains"

"Can't we go the other way!? Like through Clock Town or maybe near the western coast?" Iris pleaded "Do we have to go through there? It's kinda spooky"

"What's so spooky about it? I can see the end of it from here. We're not going in there, we're just passing by." Sable's stance was broken as she was suddenly sent sprawling across the field. She leapt to her feet with sword drawn "What the hell was that!?"

Iris looked around the area, there was no sign of a monster or opponent to even face. "This makes no sense. But you can feel it… right? That dark aura in the air"

Sable took a defensive stance "Where? Tell me"

"Behind you!" snapped Iris.

Sable swang her blade wildly in the air, she felt it pass through flesh. The sound of a scream confirmed her senses despite the fact that no visible enemy had been revealed.

"To your right!"

She twirled with her blade like a dancer, the rings dangling from her vest jingled melodically. Whatever had attacked her screamed in agony as it backed away once more. "Iris! Where is it now!?" snapped Sable

"It's in one place… just in front of you"

Sable stared to the patch of bare earth before her. As her concentration peaked, her eyes began to glow and a silhouette appeared in her sight. It may have been human at some point but it was difficult to decipher what exactly was beneath those robes. A tattered hood covered its face leaving only glowing orbs of light as eyes. In each cloaked hand was a long sabre.

"Children who can see us without the mask or the lens of truth," the creature rose, blue blood oozed from between the bandages around its limbs "I expect no less from Twinrova's apprentices."

Iris tilted her head "Twinrova…" She then snarled "You are not even worthy of speaking my master's true name!"

The creature then hissed at Sable "And a Gomess!? Here! You filthy abomination! You should be in that accursed Twilight Realm your kind worship!"

Sable buried her sword in its shoulder, the creature winced pathetically before her gaze "I am not am abomination, you are, monster."

"I am a Garo, a warrior of a Terminan cult who invaded Ikana to find out the secrets of the Stone Towers. It's because of you Interlopers that we're bound to these accursed forms." The orbs of light shone brighter "I will not give you the pleasure of ending me."

Sable let go of her blade as the Garo ignited in spectral flames. The wind carried away its ashes and left nothing except her sword on the ground. She paused for a moment "Iris, are there any more of those Garo around?"

Iris shook her head "No, I can't sense anything." Sable knelt down to retrieve her blade, the Deku shyly approached her, glancing over her shoulder apprehensively "Why did it hate us so much?"

"I don't know," Sable looked over to the Stone Towers in the distance "But one day I'll find out… who is Twinrova anyway?" She turned to Iris, the Deku nervously looked the other way "Don't play dumb, you know who that is."

Iris nodded back "Yes, but you know her too. You lived with one of her soul fragments for two years."

"You mean… Koume and Kotake are actually-"

"One and the same."

"Fascinating, utterly fascinating." Sable mused out loud "There are stories about witches dividing themselves into multiple soul puppets, mainly to protect themselves… enough of my rambling, you need to be careful out here with what you reveal to others. They might not be overly understanding."

Iris merely nodded as a reply before continuing walking, the sooner she was away from this accursed land the better. They set off as quickly as their feet could carry them. Distance grew between them and the valley as they continued their journey north. Past the forest of stone mushrooms upon the muddy earth and up the mountain trail, the ground began to reveal a coating of powdered ice.

* * *

The snow kept falling as Sable and Iris trekked the mountain path. Navigation was near impossible with the winds kicking up swirls of ice and sleet around them. Dark clouds overhead obscured the sun and made it look like night had already fallen. The plants had vanished beneath a blanket of snow. Animals were in the grip of hibernation as the mountains transcended into a state of near death. The merciless climate made it near impossible to survive this time of year. All you could do was find somewhere safe and wait for spring.

Sable hugged her body tightly, cursing at her stupidity of not bringing a jacket with her. She had already tucked her trousers into her boots and even beneath her clothes she had put on undershirts and legging to keep the warmth in. Given her newfound confidence, she felt like she could take on the world and her foolish decision was now biting back at her. She playfully commented "At least there aren't any man eating plants here, aye Iris?" but no reply came from her friend "Iris?"

Sable turned around, her foot prints still in the snow but Iris was nowhere to be seen. She immediately ran back the direction she came to find Iris curled up in the snow quivering.

"Iris? Are you alright?" said Sable as she knelt down to her friend's level "We have to keep moving."

Iris did not reply as she was too weak from the icy chill. Dekus shared the same weakness as plants and never fared well in excessive cold or heat.

"Come on Iris, I'm not leaving you behind" Sable hoisted Iris onto her back. After some difficulty she had the Deku in a piggy back position which allowed Sable to continue walking onwards without deserting Iris. Her progressed was hindered as her feet sank deeper into the snow. There was simply too much to carry through the inhospitable weather.

She kept focused on finding somewhere nearby to rest, away from the blizzard. A break from the howling wind would at least give them a chance to get their bearings. Ahead of her, a grand spectacle was unfolding as two creatures battled in the snow like it was a pleasant day. Their movements unhindered by the snow and sleet.

One of the creatures was covered in blue carapace with four insect legs. A single blood red eye stared ahead as it leapt high above its opponent. This creature was known as a Tektek in Termina slang. They were renowned for their jumping abilities and the clicking sounds they made with their legs as they moved. Opposing the Tektek was a large lizard creature, easily capable of devouring a child whole, its body was protected by thick scales and sharp claws. The Dodongo breathed fire upon the Tektek making the monster scream in agony. Having slain the Tektek, the Dodongo noticed Sable watching it and charged towards her.

Sable braced for the worst as she crouched down into the snow, hoping the lizard had poor sight and would simply charge past. Her attention peaked as the Dodongo howled out in pain. Its heavy body was dragged backwards through the snow as something had grabbed its tail. In the midst of the snow a tall burly figure tore the lizard apart with its bare hands.

'_Such strength…'_ thought Sable as she struggled to keep conscious.

The figure walked over to them with large strides. Its movements unhindered by the snow despite being a hulking creature made of rock. Upon closer inspection, Sable realised it was a Goron. His wiry hair was spiked back into an elaborate mane. He had a set of large iron beads around his neck and gauntlets covering his hands. A tribal tattoo marked each of his arms and there was a large white scar over his gut. He said calmly "I am Darmani the third, who are you, goro?"

Sable looked up weakly at him, unable to phrase a response. Her body had reached the limit of her energy as the sleet kept cutting past her. She passed out at his feet.


	11. Tempers Flare

The feeling of warmth roused her senses, Sable felt her chilled body slowly thawing. A slight scent of burning could also be detected which hurried her awakening alone. She frantically leapt up in the bed, waving her arms and yelling "Don't cook me!"

She found herself face to face with rather perplexed Goron standing by an unlit torch. He easily towered over her but did not seem like he wanted to harm her as a friendly smile appeared. "Sorry, goro. I thought you'd warm up faster if I lighted the torch, goro"

Sable shyly lowered her arms "Sorry, that was quite rude of me."

"It's alright, goro. Darmani said he found you in the middle of a snowstorm, goro. So I guessed you would be a little shaken when you woke up, goro."

"Where's my bag and weapons…" A hand went to her head "And my hat?"

"Just over there, goro." He pointed over his shoulder and true to his word, her possessions were there along with Iris'. They were in a cavernous stone room that should have been freezing this time of year. However there were burning torches everywhere and plenty of fur pelts to ward away the cold. The Goron informed "You're in the Goron Village, goro. Your friend woke up a little while ago, goro. Lucky that Deku merchant told us what to do, goro. Otherwise there's no telling what would've happened, goro."

She rose from her makeshift bed of piled furs "Thankyou, I'm Sable by the way. What's your name?"

"Gorko, goro. This is actually my room, goro. But it's pretty big and you can stay here as long as you need, goro."

"That's very kind of you… what's the catch?"

"No catch, goro." He smirked back to her "But a friend of Pierre is a friend of mind, goro. I take it you're the jester girl who lives with Shikashi, goro. The one who keeps researching stories about Termina, goro."

"Yes, that's me." Sable then stood on her toes in a pitiful attempt to seem taller. Even then she barely made it to his chest "Would you mind if I asked you about Goron stories later?"

Gorko laughed heartily "Of course, goro. You sound a lot like Shikashi when he first came through here all those years ago, goro."

"You know Gramps too…" Sable shook her head "Why am I not surprised?" she then remembered and abruptly asked "Where has Iris gone anyway?"

"Sure, goro. She's with the elder and the children, goro." Gorko gestured to the doorway "Main hall is through there, goro."

Sable bowed and left with a smile on her face. Although now she was curious about where the old professor travelled in his youth and why he never told her about it. Before leaving Clock Town, Sable thought Professor Shikashi was just an old hermit but now he seemed to be some grand adventurer who travelled all over Termina in the pursuit of knowledge. There was something admirable about that lifestyle and it grew more appealing with each passing day.

The main hall was a grand chamber within the mountains. The smooth stone walls were decorated with bright paintings depicting all kinds of legends. The floor spiralled around the room as a ramp as Gorons had a habit of rolling everywhere. Windows in the high curves of the ceiling revealed the haze of white from the deadly blizzard. Sable was honestly surprised they had managed to get so far up the mountain in this weather.

Towards the top of the ramp was a main landing leading to the elder's chambers as well as the mountains outside. In the grip of the storm, a mighty stone door had sealed off entry to the city to keep the warmth in. Sitting around a large bonfire was a withered old Goron with wiry hair drooping over his ancient face. His audience consisted of children and adult Gorons who were hanging on his every word. Even Iris was among the crowd, nearly dwarfed by the Goron children.

The elder took a deep breath as he said "Long, long ago… longer before any of us were born. Our ancestors' world was plagued by an evil demon of unmeasurable power and strength. No one knew where he came from, but once he appeared in Termina there was no stopping him as he consumed all in his darkness. This demon was known as Bellum, the bringer of plagues, a hideous monstrosity with many golden eyes that could manifest into different forms"

The children gasped and trembled with fright as the elder explained Bellum. The vague outline of the ancient demon was carved on a wall behind him. It looked Terminan yet was covered in twisted shadowy limbs and patterns of exoskeletons. The most notable feature were the many golden eyes amidst the darkness of the creature.

"Soon enough Bellum consumed all living things and forced the five tribes of Termina into refuge. The Terminans were the worst struck as Bellum had taken Clocktown from them. He had used it to birth his unholy armies and the six elemental demons that made him invincible"

Sable paused with curiosity _'Five tribes?'_ she thought as the elder continued his tale. She was now listening more intently than before. An adult Goron offered her a seat on his shoulders so she could see the elder better.

"But where there is darkness there is also light. Four heroes answered the prayers of the Giants, they were gifted with the divinity of their wrath, the power to command their shadows! From the southern swamps came the champion of Odolwa, Dakar, the prince of the Dekus. In depths of the western oceans the hero of Gyorg and illusionist of the Zoras, Mikaw came to the giants' aid. To the east and the solitude of the Stone Towers came the legendary Gomess and guardian of Twinmould, Majora. Last but not least," he paused dramatically "From the north came Damino, the hero of the Gorons and the bearer of Goht's power!"

The audience cheered loudly as the elder said Damino's name. At that moment Sable noticed the Goron who had found her in the snowfields. He bashfully smiled to himself as his kin cheered on.

"Together, the four champions of the Giants banded together and fought as one! They massacred the six elemental demons allowing them to enter Clock Town where Bellum resided. The battle was long and tiring, but they succeeded in defeating Bellum. They called upon the wrathful and dark sides of the giants. As one they chanted…"

"From the darkness of the Woodfall, the secrets of the Deku. Odolwa, the masked jungle warrior, the dark side of the southern giant. I call upon your courage!"

"From the storms of the Snowhead, the unwritten words of the Gorons. Goht, the masked mechanical monster, the shadow of the northern giant. I call upon your power!"

"From the depths of the Great Bay, the lost songs of the Zoras. Gyorg, the masked gargantuan fish, the gloom of the western giant. I call upon your wisdom!"

"From the echo of the Stone Towers, the forgotten past of Ikana. Twinmould, the masked twin centipede, the silhouette of the eastern giant. I call upon your divinity!"

"We call upon your souls now! Return this demon to whence it came!"

The elder grinned as he finished the tale "They destroyed his body and cursed his soul so he could never return to Termina again!"

The children and adults listening cheered, even though they had heard the tale many times before, it was still a delight to hear over and over again.

"Tell us another one, goro!" cheered a Goron child

Another cried "The one about Darmani, goro!"

"Alright, alright, calm down, goro. Now let's see…" the elder proceeded to retell the adventures of their modern hero.

* * *

The next few days passed peacefully as Sable spent her time gathering various folklore from the Gorons. Frustratingly the Dekus of the swamp were more wary of her and so she was never allowed to even enter their palace let alone talk openly with them. It was refreshing to meet such a clan, what was more interesting were the Gorons' knowledge of their history. They revered the old tales and could recite them perfectly, everyone knew their ancestral bloodlines as well. The tale of Bellum and Majora particularly interested Sable, as far as knew no other folklore in Termina even mentioned this climatic battle or the existence of the Gomess tribe.

In the meantime Iris had a habit of vanishing outside for most of the day. Usually she returned at night covered in frost and shivering from the cold. Then strangely she would wake up the next day and do it all again. Sable put down her notebook as she saw Iris leave Gorko's house yet again. She stood to follow her, wrapping her Wolfos fur coat around her in the process. Keeping a safe distance to avoid detection, Sable followed Iris through the Goron village and out into the snowfields.

From the mountains, the village was scattered across the cliffs like a burrowing worm. The only noticeable features were the various dome structures rising from the blanket of snow. Tracking Iris proved to be challenging as Dekus were simply not heavy enough to leave footprints. Sable had a feeling her cover would be blown any second now as her boots crunched the snow while she ran. If Iris had known she was near, she did not reveal it any way as she kept walking towards the frozen lake to the south of the village.

Withered trunks with wispy branches reached high into the air. Snow cloaked the islands scattered through the icy lake, sturdy wooden bridges linked each mound. Iris knelt down in the snow at one of the islands. She closed her eyes and began to meditate, as she did her frost magic began to pulse through her. Today, she knew today would be the day it would finally happen. Iris felt her body go cold and her leafy hair begin to crystallise into long icicles.

"By the Giants! You're frozen! We need to get you back to the village!"

Iris abruptly opened her eyes to find Sable looking panicked over her altered hair. She laughed "So the frost mane worked after all."

Sable prodded one of the icicles "You mean, you wanted this to happen?"

"Frost mane is a spell that makes you immune to ice, kind of like fire mane, but I don't feel confident enough to try that one yet." Iris stood, dusting powdery snow off her black robes "It's why I've been coming out here and surrounding myself with blizzards. Don't look at me like that, it can be reversed."

"Well…" Sable let out a sigh, not entirely convinced "So long as you're alright."

"Any luck with finding out about the Fire Salamander?"

"All I know is that it comes out during winter when there's a full moon, even then these mountains are massive so I have no idea where it will go."

"I knew it, goro." They turned to see the disapproving face of Darmani, the village's hero. He towered over them with his muscular arms folded across his chest "There's no other reason as to why your kind comes here, goro." He pointed to Sable accusingly "And I'm telling you now, goro. I will be the one to kill that Fire Salamander, goro."

Sable shook her head "Why? That beast has no sacred importance to the Gorons."

"But it does to me, goro. I am a descendant of Goron heroes, goro. I need to prove my strength, goro."

"But your village already adores you and you've already gotten rid of all kinds of threats."

Iris hid behind Sable and wished the earth would swallow her. Darmani had scared the living daylights out of her, it was illogical that a creature like a Goron could even possess any stealth. Now this argument was becoming more heated with each passing moment.

"A child like you wouldn't even have a chance of killing one, goro."

"And you are an idiot to underestimate others. Who's to say that I am not a warrior like you?"

Darmani laughed out loud "You, goro?" he teased "Who're your ancestors, goro?" He wildly lashed out a direct punch with his rock encrusted fist to a white wolfos sneaking up on them. The beast howled as it toppled down the side of the rocky island and crashed into the frozen lake below. "I am a direct descendent of Damino, goro. When the time has come and the darkness has risen I will be ready, goro. I will become a true hero and bring honour to my bloodline, goro."

With cold determination, Sable raised her dagger and threw into the head of another white wolfos who had foolishly tried to sneak up on them. The blade pierced in between the monster's red eyes. Iris hugged her knees and covered her head with her arms as she wished for it all to be over.

Sable let out a sigh, her breath was a misty fog in the cold. "I am no hero… but I am a descendant of Arch Mage Midna of the Gomess." She coldly informed Darmani "It is the duty of my bloodline to collect the souls of the legendary beasts that reside in each region of Termina. I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of my way."

Darmani knelt down to her level, his words dripped venom "For your sake child, you'd better stay out of mine, goro."

She said solemnly "But you will fail when the time comes."

Darmani roared at her "WHAT!? Impossible, my punch can smash snow and ice asunder, goro! How can you say I'll fail, goro!?"

"You're biggest fault is that you do not respect or honour your opponent. It leads you to underestimate them which will be your greatest downfall. Everyone at the village idolises you so they've swelled your ego to the point where it can't decrease." Sable narrowed her eyes "I guess I'll be hunting with you on the night of the full moon."

Darmani glared at Sable as his hand clenched into a fist. It was so tempting to just smash her right here for saying such slander but he could not. He let out a monstrous growl as he turned and stomped back in the direction of the village.

Iris finally uncurled and pleaded "Maybe we shouldn't go back, I mean, you just made one of the most notable Gorons hate you."

"Gorons have a culture built on kinship and ancestral worship," Sable calmly informed, she went to the corpse of the wolfos to retrieve her dagger "They are also honourable so I doubt Darmani will do anything in the village, what we merely did here was establish a challenge and nothing more."

Iris shook her head, still hating the idea of returning to the village. Sable on the other hand remained calmly silent as she walked back through the snow.


	12. Moonlight Hunt

The night of the full moon had arrived as Iris watched Sable prepare herself for the hunt. Strangely she did not take her sword and dagger with her, only wrapping her coat around her to protect herself from the cold. She gave Iris her jester hat with a nervous smile "Keep this safe for me, I'll be back at daybreak."

Iris questioned once more "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"No, I have to do this alone." Sable then nodded to Gorko who was at the doorway "Can you let me out of the city?"

They walked back up the ramp, most the Gorons were busy with their evening routines. Murmurs and whispers echoed as Sable walked past. Most knew about the hunting challenge between her and Darmani and were providing their own theories about how the night will unfold. Sable paid them no attention as she focused on the task at hand. When they arrived at the great stone door, Gorko performed a ground pound to open the colossal entrance. He smiled to her "Be careful, goro. I hope you know what you're doing, goro."

Sable laughed to herself "I hope so too."

She left the village in the dead of night to travel through the snowfields. The wind had settled that evening resulting in a picturesque winter wonderland to explore. The full moon hung above her like an ominous eye, watching her as she ran through the darkness. Strangely the moon was an ominous red, however Sable and none of the other creatures in the mountains even considered the warning it was giving.

* * *

Darmani was confident that he would best a mere child in hunting a deadly beast. He had heard of Fire Salamanders, a type of bipedal dodongo that could ignite its body with fire at will. The hide of such a creature would make a fine trophy and testament to his courage and power. Frustratingly the beasts seemed to live underground and were possibly the reason behind the hot springs dotted through the mountains. They only seemed to reach the surface in winter and oddly in tune with the full moon.

The bitter chill did not cut through Darmani's body as he marched onwards. He ventured deep into the mountains near Snowhead, the temple of the northern Giant. Regardless of the seasons it was permanently strangled by the grasp of winter. The clear sky and silence made it easy to spy towards the horizon in all directions. He smiled as he saw his mark as clear as day. A gleaming lizard with onyx and ruby scales calmly bathed in the moonlight. It was massive, easily towering over him, with curved spikes lining its body. Its tail wavered across the snow, etching patterns in the whiteness.

He cracked his knuckles with confidence, as far as he could tell there was no sign of Sable anywhere. He then curled into a ball and rolled towards his opponent. As he did, the gift of his bloodline came into effect, his rocky skin parted to reveal a series of spikes.

The Fire Salamander heard the Goron coming a mile away. Its webbed ears twitched as it raised its monstrous head with annoyance. Red eyes blinked momentarily before it lowered its head and braced itself. It scooped Darmani up effortlessly with its horns and tossed the Goron aside. A mane of flames danced along its spine and tail.

Darmani crashed into the snow and uncurled, before he could rise the Fire Salamander was already upon him. Open fanged jaws reached down to rip his face off, a fiery glow bubbling from its throat. Darmani resisted, throwing his hands up to catch the beast's snout and twisted the monster's head to the side. He narrowly avoided the surge of lava that poured from the beast and onto the snow.

The Fire Salamander snorted at him and turned to burrow back into the earth. Darmani charged forwards screaming "You are not running away!"

The creature head butted him again, sending the Goron back to the snow. Its mouth opened wide as its mouth glowed with flames once more. Darmani was utterly shocked as the Fire Salamander closed its maw and looked towards the distance.

What appeared to be a green fox was now sprinting towards them. For whatever reason the Fire Salamander appeared utterly terrified and enraged by its presence, wildly swinging its massive claws as its mane blazed blue. The little fox outmanoeuvred its cumbersome strikes, its bristled fur allowed it to grip the snow. The two monsters chased off into the distance leaving Darmani behind.

Beneath the guise of the Forest Fox, Sable felt her heart racing and her body ache as she propelled it in ways she never thought possible. Incapable of speech, she howled as she dived aside to evade the salamander's rampaging claws. They chased one another to a dead end by a frosty cliff. However in this new skin, Sable initiated her strategy using her newfound agility and lightweight frame to climb vertically. The Fire Salamander roared with fury as it lost its footing and collided with the cliff. Sable could easily climb these walls as she realised that the fox possessed spinnerets rather than claws. She kicked off the frozen stone and streamed long whips of spider silk in the process. Flames blazed stronger along the salamander's spine as it untangled itself form the momentary distraction.

It did not even see the scorpion stinger lashing out from beneath, its point aimed at its chest.

In one swift jab the Fire Salamander felt weak, its body became numb as the poison coursed through its veins. Its organs were in the grips of paralysis as it fell to the ground, its breath becoming weaker and its heartbeat almost stilled.

The Forest Fox stood before the fallen behemoth licking its paw. From this angle it revealed that the fox skin was merely a disguise to conceal the grotesque chelicerata that was the true monster. Darkness enveloped its form and shifted to reveal a girl with grey skin and evil eyes.

"So, a Gomess finally came for me." The voice of a fierce man invaded Sable's senses "Well played child. You alone bested me so you deserve to take my soul."

"I am honoured to do so." She bowed, her arm in the process became flecked with shadows. Her claw of tendrils reached out once more and struck the Fire Salamander's chest. Its body writhed as she tore out a gleaming red light. Her hand then reverted to normal as the darkness shed from her form like a second skin. The star of light had become one with her as her skin began to pulse with the energy.

Sable's breathing rasped as she knelt before the corpse of the Fire Salamander. It took all her strength not to collapse into the snow. The crunching of footsteps roused her awareness as she glanced over her shoulder.

Darmani paused in his stride as she looked back at him. He had witnessed the entire spectacle, never before did he even imagine such ancient creatures battling in the mountains. He nervously stated the obvious "You… you weren't lying, goro. You really are a Gomess, goro."

"I told you what I am…" she weakly answered "Now, I have to get to the Great Fairy, before…" Sable felt her body sway against her mind's wishes. A firm hand caught her before she fell completely. The last thing she saw before passing out was Darmani's petrified face looking down at her.

* * *

When she finally opened her eyes she was no longer in that snowfield. Sable was looking at a beautiful glacial palace up ahead. Crystal spires reached out to touch the sky as the structure perched upon high spires of stone. A deep canyon served as the moat while a large winding snowy path was the bridge. All around this frozen kingdom were high walls of snowy mountains. A constant thump was heard as the keeper of this small sanctuary went about his business. Sable gasped softly as she noticed the massive Goron walking in the canyon. He was so tall that the canyon only came up to his waist. He waved in her direction "Evening Darmani, goro"

"Evening Biggoron, goro" replied Darmani

Sable then realised Darmani was carrying her over his shoulders. She attempted to climb down but found her body was still too weak to walk on her own. Darmani felt her awaken as he grunted "Good to see you're awake, goro"

Her mind struggled to form a sentence "What… wait, where…"

"I'm taking you to Snowhead, goro."

She tilted her head, utterly bewildered by his actions "But why?"

"I may not like you, goro. But after watching you fight that monster, I do respect you, goro."

"Same," Sable informed as she leant over his head "It was pretty brave of you to charge towards the Fire Salamander… but I'd be a little more careful next time."

He did not turn "How so, goro?"

"When you rush in and focus on one thing, you lose sight of everything else. That's just asking for trouble." Sable let out a sigh "You seem to be a good person Darmani and your clan loves you so don't throw your life away so recklessly."

"You forget who you're talking to, goro." Darmani boasted "The blood of Goron heroes flows through my veins, goro."

"That doesn't mean you're magically immune to death."

Darmani abruptly fell silent as the snow crunched beneath his heavy frame. He followed the path around to the base of the Snowhead Temple. Their journey did not ascend in any way as he manoeuvred to the back of the icy tower. Obscured by the glacial structures was a tunnel leading into darkness. A familiar aura of magic pulsed from within and beckoned Sable to enter.

"Are you alright, goro?" asked Darmani as Sable struggled down his back.

"I have to go alone… wait for me here" she said as she walked slowly away from him. She stumbled a little but kept moving, determined to see the Great Fairy. Remaining conscious was becoming harder as her first successful transformation had tired her body out in ways she did not think possible.

The darkness parted as the familiar tiled path came into view again. Iridescent stones framed the small pond of rippling water. Green light sparkled amidst the eternal cascade of raindrops that cut holes in the shadows. The water of the fountain danced as a celestial form solidified from the fluid with a mesmerising laugh. Another beautiful woman wrapped in vines and leaves appeared from the ether. Her hair was bright green and floated around her delicate form. Her emerald eyes looked down upon Sable.

"Greetings Gomess child, I am the Great Fairy of Snowhead"

Sable looked to her feet "I'm sorry to have bothered you… I killed the Fire Salamander…"

"The moment you killed it, it became one with you. Now to make it part of your soul once and for all so you may use its form"

Sable suddenly felt as light as a feather once more as she floated above the ground. A ruby star of light formed before her as her vision turned red, then white.

Caverns dancing with writhing magma invaded her vision. Despite this, she could feel no heat as the magma glowed gently amidst the darkened caves. The walls were devoid of paintings suggesting that not even the Gorons knew of this place. An ethereal Fire Salamander confidently approached her from a nearby tunnel. The creature bowed to her and she did the same gesture.

"You have shown me true power, it's no wonder the Forest Fox agreed to let you take its soul." said the fierce voice once more "When you need me, I will answer your call."

The red light pulsed over Sable's skin as she felt a burning sensation flare up in her chest. She fell to her knees and gritted her teeth.

When she stood once more, she was back at the Fairy Fountain. The burning pain had ceased completely. The Great Fairy smiled as she floated overhead. At that very moment Sable wanted nothing more than to collapse and not rise for weeks. However her perseverance forced her to remain awake and respectful towards the magical entity. After all, the fairy did not have to speak with Sable at such a late hour of the night.

"You witnessed the true form of the beast's soul. It is now part of you and willingly accepts you as its master," informed the fairy "You are doing very well in collecting the legendary beasts. But I fear the next ones will be the most difficult to claim"

"Why do you say that?" replied Sable

"The Ocean Tiger is a very temperamental being and takes life as nothing more than a joke. It toys with everything, most go insane trying to find it"

"But surely the Fairy of Great Bay can help me?"

"She'd be the person you should see. However, you also possess the soul of a dragon in that pendant… It hasn't even acknowledged you as worthy yet." The fairy sighed a little "It won't even pay attention to you."

Sable clutched her fused shadow "Then how do I get it to acknowledge me?"

"With Ikana Valley the way it is you cannot enter to consult the wisdom of the Great Fairy of Ikana… then again she may not be able to help you at all. You should seek the Great Fairy who once lived in the Stone Towers, but be careful, for she is not like the rest of us."

Sable tilted her head, genuinely confused "Why not? Aren't the Great Fairies supposed to be the eyes of the Giants who watch over Termina?"

"There is another primal deity that watches over Termina." The Great Fairy reluctantly admitted "A great and terrifyingly fierce deity, the Oni… its fairy is the Great Fairy of the Twilight Realm… it was rumoured that she once dwelled in the Stone Towers, but no one has seen her since the fall of Ikana." She looked to the astonished child before her "You Gomess, you get your powers from the Twilight Realm, so there is no doubt in my mind, that one day you will confront this Great Fairy." She tried to give a comforting smile as she reassured "Do not fear her, for she'll mean no harm to your kind. That still does not help your current situation… Your best bet is to head to the Great Fairy of Clock Town."

"Thankyou for your help." bowed Sable

"Best of luck to you in your quest, no matter what path you choose now." The Great Fairy danced back into the water once more.

When Sable emerged she stumbled into the snow. A shadow loomed over her, looking up she saw Darmani had indeed waited for her. She shook her head "You're a jinx, every time I see you I just want to pass out."

He laughed heartily "Well we better get you back to the village then, goro." He scooped her up in his arms again, laughter continued to rumble out of him.

Sable growled "What's so funny?"

"You lecture me, but you can't even control your own powers, goro." Darmani mocked her "You need to know your own limitations, goro."

"You should be following your own advice."

"Don't tempt me to leave you out here to freeze, goro."


	13. A Detour

Out of concern, Iris pulled down one of Sable's eyelids to remark "You know, I can't even tell when you're tired, your eyes are always bloodshot."

Sable waved the Deku off with a sluggish gesture, she had been asleep for a few days straight and her body only wanted to crawl back into bed. The fact still remained that she had successfully performed a shape shift and she had claimed the soul of a second legendary beast. However she did not feel as joyous as she thought she would, mainly because not even Onox could warn her of how much energy it drained from your body to cast such magic. Sable held her head, furs surrounding her as she remained upright on her bed.

Iris was perched near her with an expression of confusion "Are you feeling better at all?"

"No…" Sable groaned back "But I know I shouldn't sleep more, we should probably get moving."

"Yeah, we've both got what we were looking for." She brushed a few leaves from around her face "So where are we heading now? What did the fairy tell you?"

"Well, we have a choice. Either Clocktown or Great Bay"

The Deku jumped up and down with excitement, her eyes becoming wide like a small puppy "Great Bay, please! Can we go there next? I've never seen the ocean before"

"Me neither, but that's an excellent reason to check it out!" Sable nodded "Let's get our stuff together, we're hitting the road again!" She then fell out of bed as her legs refused to work "Right after my body gets back to normal."

Gorko walked in to find Sable awake and struggling to remain standing. He handed her two potion bottles, one red and one blue, with a gentle smile "Try these, goro."

Iris piped up "Those smell like the potions Mistress Kotake brews."

"I heard a witch in the swamp makes these, goro. The merchant brings them in every so often, goro." Gorko shrugged, holding one bottle up to the light of a torch "We Gorons don't really use them but they look pretty, goro."

Iris prescribed "The blue one will fix you up in no time!"

"So I'm guessing you'll be leaving soon?" Gorko asked as he looked down upon them, Iris was wide eyed and as excitable as a puppy while Sable was drinking down the potion and looking around for her jester hat "I can escort you out of the mountains. Winter ends in a few months before the Carnival of Time so it's still dangerous to go alone."

"Thankyou for letting us stay with you Gorko." Iris nodded cheerfully "If you ever go travelling and need someplace to stay in the swamps just talk to Mistress Kotake at the potion shop."

Sable added as she finished drinking "Shikashi is also near Clock Town, if you ever need to visit and the Stock Pot Inn is full. He lives in the observatory just outside Clock Town."

"You're welcome girls, I've enjoyed your company and I'm sure we'll cross paths again."

After gathering their belongings, Sable and Iris descended down the mountains once more. With Gorko leading the way the journey went by much quicker. The warm fur coat around Sable and the frost mane spell in Iris' repertoire also nullified the effects of the freezing weather. The verdant fields were within eyesight as Gorko parted ways with them, leaving the two apprentices to continue their quest for self-improvement.

* * *

"What kind of sick-" muttered Iris, she could hardly believe what they were looking at.

"Joke is this!?" finished Sable, she too was shaking her head and kicked a nearby rock.

They both stood at the entry point to the Great Bay, the western region of Termina. The ground here was sandy and golden as the beach was only a few steps away. Aside from pools of water there were also decorative white walls woven among the dunes. The largest of which now blocked their path into the Great Bay and looked near impossible to scale.

"This can't be happening!" snapped Iris, her arms flailing wildly "We're so close to the sea! Sable can't you turn into something and get us over?"

"Well… I could turn into a Forest Fox and just climb over or as a Fire Salamander I could just break down the wall completely." Sable reluctantly informed the bright eyed Deku "But we're out in the open and on a main trading route directly connecting to Clock Town." She pointed to the city in the distance "It's risky to use my powers in such an open place. Can you imagine how freaked people would be if they saw?"

Iris reluctantly cursed to herself as her hopes were shattered. Then again Sable was definitely correct in what she was suggesting.

"Even if I manage to make it over I'd be a sitting duck once my rest period kicks in," Sable knocked on the wall with her knuckle "I don't think either of us is going over unless we ride something over it."

"Ride… that's it!" cheered Iris as a light bulb went off in her brain.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm an apprentice witch, I have to learn how to fly a broom sooner or later."

"Well, if you're confident enough to," Sable paused and said "What's with this change in personality? A few weeks ago you were so shy you couldn't keep eye contact."

"I… I guess…" Iris thought a little more "I guess being out of the swamps makes me realise that people don't care about who I'm related to. It's a relief."

"Now I'm curious, can you still not tell me why you were raised by witches?"

Iris winked "Maybe one day soon I will."

Sable laughed "So we're going back to the swamp then so you can get lessons from Koume and Kotake?"

"Not exactly Sable. The training ground for flight is located to the south west of Clock Town. In ancient times witches went there to practise their levitation magic" Iris elaborated with wild gestures of her arms, her sleeves were sent aflutter as she informed "The wards present in that place made them immune from any injury suffered from falls. This is very lucky considering flight is a dangerous thing"

"Alright, so let's go to this training ground. But… do you actually know what you're doing?"

"I won't know until I try, so let's move out already!" cheered Iris, she proudly marched back up the dunes and headed south.

Sable smiled back at her Deku companion, a small part of her was happy for Iris' change in disposition as she gained confidence in herself and her abilities. In fact she was perhaps a little envious as it felt that her shape shifting magic was not developing as well as it could be. Sable had managed to learn possession and soul reaping, yet to actually change forms as will, this skill was still too unstable for her liking. Her mind was brought back to reality as Iris cheered her on from afar. Although she knew this was not the last time her doubts would flood back into mind. Sable ran over the sandy ground to catch up with Iris.

* * *

A strange shadow lingered in the sky over Clock Town, it was rather peculiar but did not appear life threatening or dangerous. It did not appear to be a big enough cause of distress as the denizens of Termina went about their daily business as they always did. Romani Ranch was no exception, the open fields were fenced off from the encroaching swamplands of the south and the tropical plants of the western shores. This was farming land as the majority of the open plain hosted all manner of cows. A cucco hut and dog breeder remained as permanent structure at the edge of the field. The two owners never seemed to bother Cremia as they paid their rent on time and helped out when requested.

Times were tough though as random acts of vandalism destroyed much of their merchandise to trade with Clock Town. Cremia knew it was the Gorman brothers who owned a farm nearby, yet she did not have any proof to accuse them openly. She brushed her red hair off her face and cracked her back. The barn had finally been tidied to an acceptable level. Cremia adjusted her work clothes as she headed outside to find her younger sister, Romani, practising her archery.

They were like two peas in a pod in the ways of appearance and were both fine beauties in their own right. However as Romani was still too young, Cremia was left with the brunt of farm work for most of the year. Fortunately, each year a travelling mask maker often set up camp at the ranch just before the Carnival of Time and offered the services of her errand boy to help. Judging by the time of day and the fact the carnival was still a few months away, Cremia had a feeling they would be arriving within the next day or so.

As Cremia walked past Romarni aimed and drew her bow. Taking a breath to steady herself, she fired and hit a bullseye on a makeshift target. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" she cheered happily "I did it!"

"Did what?" asked her older sister.

"Cremia! I did it! I hit a bullseye!"

"Well done Romani."

Romani threw her arms in the air "Those aliens won't know what hit em!"

"Aliens?" muttered Cremia, she just shook it off as Romani had always had a vivid imagination.

She left her sister alone to resume her archery practise. From her position near the main house she could see every part of the ranch. A smile crossed her lips as a familiar armoured caravan rolled into view and down the main path. The horses came to a halt by the house, a burly youth waved to Cremia and Romani from his place atop the carriage. His cohort, a tall and slightly blue skinned woman was at the reins and politely bowed, throwing a sack of rupees down to Cremia "We're back again, my dear. I hope this covers the rent and Ox is ready to help."

Cremia caught the bag, nervously looking at the strange travellers, their unnatural skin tones and strange eyes never failed to make her wary. Then again they could pay to stay and they were not malicious as far as she could tell. She smiled and curtsied back "Always a pleasure to see you again Veran, you too Onox."

Romani cheered happily "The Fairy and the Dragon are back!"

"Romani! Don't be so rude." Cremia shook her head at her sister and her strange habit of giving people nicknames they did not necessarily want.

"It's fine, I like being called a dragon." Onox leapt down from the carriage "Feels… Right."

Veran corrected "However I don't think I'd make a good fairy, child."

"But you remind me of one," Romani nodded "Yeah, you got a pretty face just like a fairy queen."

"Well I can't argue if your sister has a reason like that." Veran brushed her hair behind her ear, Cremia blushed from embarrassment.

Romani pointed to Onox "Yeah and he's a dragon cause he's all bulky and breaks things like a dragon!"

"Bulky?" Onox looked himself over in confusion.

"And you don't question the breaking things?" Veran slyly remarked "Well I know you've had to let your belt out a few notches lately and I've seen that little paunch under your cuirass."

Onox coldly glared back at her "You need fat in order to grow muscle."

"Whatever you say." Veran smirked, she turned to Cremia "So just tell him what needs to be done, I'll be in the carriage and I don't want to be disturbed yet. I still have a few orders to fill before the carnival." Having issued her commands, Veran slinked into her workshop without another word.

Cremia shyly looked to Onox who was still cursing under his breath over his employer's remarks. She started as she picked up her pitchfork and a bucket, "Onox," he glanced to her "Can you please get to work on smashing some boulders?" she gestured behind her "I'll show you where."

After quickly retrieving his flail from his belongings, Onox waved to Romani before following after Cremia. The sun was still high and the wind whistled in their ears. As they moved across the field and past the herds of cows he saw a familiar jester hat in the distance. Cremia felt nervous at the sight of the girl, her skin made her look diseased and the Deku by her side looked even more suspicious in the clothes of a Terminan.

The Deku screeched, frantically diving to her knees and tearing up the grass as she looked for something "It's gone!? How is it gone!? It can't be gone!"

"What's gone?" asked her jester friend.

"The training ground!" She cried out of frustration "Trust me to arrive at a place long gone."

"Well, Kotake has been around since the Giants know when"

"Still, the magic is here. It's faint, but it's still here"

Cremia asked "Can I help you?" her hands tightened around her pitchfork just in case these drifters wanted trouble.

"Good afternoon Sable, Iris." Onox beamed to them "What brings you here?"

Cremia shot him a puzzled look, perhaps they were not troublesome if he trusted them.

"I heard there were wards here to help witches train in levitation." Iris piped up "But they're all gone now! How am I supposed to learn how to fly a broom?"

"Iris… maybe you shouldn't be so open about the magic stuff around her." Sable pointed to Cremia.

Onox interjected "I can assure you Cremia is not narrow minded or fearful of the idea of magic."

"Thanks Onox," Cremia paused for a moment "Wards… oh, that must be those strange drawings."

Iris' interest piqued once more "Drawings? Where? Tell me! In fact, could stay here for a little while?"

Cremia physically hesitated to answer and stepped back. The excitable Deku was rather adorable but borderline unnerving in her current demeanour.

"Of course, we wouldn't expect you to take us in for nothing," informed Iris as she gestured to her friend "While I'm training, she can help you out around the ranch."

The jester girl looked confused for a second before she snapped to her friend "Wait, what!?"

"Come on, we need to give her something for letting us stay."

"Why didn't you ask me first!?"

"Deal" said Cremia before the offer could change. She liked the idea of having more help around here.

"Wonderful, I'm Iris by the way" the Deku noticed the stunned expression on her friend's face "And uh… this is Sable"

"Pleased to meet you, name's Cremia. I'm the owner of this ranch" she informed strongly "You two can sleep in the barn because we don't have space anywhere else. I'm fine with giving you food and shelter, just as long as you pull your weight"

Sable let out a sigh as Iris finalised the deal. It was hard enough dealing with her need for rest from teenage growth and learning to shape shift. The last thing she needed was to become a rancher's servant. Her distress lightened from the sound of Onox's laughter. He waved her to follow on as they walked after Cremia and Iris.


	14. Sharing Tales

The sun was setting over Romani Ranch as all activity slowed to a halt. Given the pleasant weather, Cremia opted to cook dinner under the stars as she ignited the old fire pit a little way from the barn. As her sister was occupied, Romani spied the new tenants staying with them from her vantage point atop a collection of crates. The little plant girl looked rather strange with her broom over her shoulder as she marched across the fields in strategic patterns. She did not know what exactly was so fascinating about the grass but perhaps plant people saw things that normal Terminans could not.

The jester girl on the other hand had been helping Onox the entire day. They seemed rather adept at breaking things as they crushed the offending rocks in question into gravel. By now they were attempting to heard the cows closer to the barn. Onox becoming so impatient he practically lifted one of the bovine and carried it to the desired location. Romani asked out loud to no one in particular "Why does Witchy carry a broom everywhere? And why does Jester follow Dragon around so much?"

"Iris, no, I mean, Witchy is a cleaning enthusiast so she carries a broom with her at all times." Veran answered as she slinked from her caravan, she looked over the field alongside Romani "As for Jester, well… she and Dragon are just drawn to one another by fate." She leant over to Romani with a wink "But that's just a little secret between you and me."

Romani chirped "Like how Ralph likes Cremia?"

Unsettled features crossed Veran's face, only to shrug them off and say "Well if it'll help you understand, yes, exactly like that."

"Don't say that man's name, makes my bones chill at the thought of him." Cremia remarked as she tended to the meat cooking over the pit. Ralph was a rather charismatic and handsome acquaintance of Kafei, who in turn was enamoured by Anju, Cremia's friend. In her few visits to Clock Town, Cremia had quickly grown to dislike Ralph with his bigoted attitude over class. Yet for reasons unknown, Ralph was utterly enchanted by her, even if she was in his terms a lowly milk maid.

A cow's cry howled through the night as the creature was lifted and nearly flung to join the rest of the heard. Cremia snapped loudly "Onox! We talked about this! No throwing the cows!"

His voice yelled back "But it's great for building upper body strength!"

"No. Throwing. Cows! That's final! Or else I'm not feeding you!"

Onox fell silent at her threat while he kept walking up the hill. Sable was cackling beside him as she wiped the sweat from her brow "How are you even able to lift a cow?"

"I just can." He abruptly replied as his pace quickened.

Bewilderment flooded through Sable's mind from his sudden change in disposition. They had been rather carefree all day with helping around the ranch. A part of her felt that indeed he was a good friend as it did not matter how much time passed between their encounters. She kicked a stone and shook her head, why were people so confusing? At least in the realm of academia everything had a logic and reason to it. When dealing with people that was never a guarantee.

* * *

After dinner was eaten and the area was tidied, Cremia and Romani retired to their ranch house while Veran disappeared into her caravan again. Sable remained quiet near the bonfire while Iris and Onox conversed. Her mind swirling with never ending strings of questions as she attempted to decipher this idea of another god in Termina. It was all she could do to overlook Onox's strange behaviours. Although why she was so concerned with him was yet another question she was not ready to answer.

Onox half reclined, watching the fire dance in its pit "So how is your training going Iris?"

"Alright, I think, I was able to get my feet slightly off the earth today," Iris sighed to herself "But it's so hard! I never expected levitation to be so difficult."

"Any skill is like that when you first try it, keep practising and I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I didn't see much of Veran tonight, how is she?"

"Swamped with work, she's finished her orders for the carnival but she's working on some other masks too… she's keeping really quiet about it."

"Well if she's busy, I won't disturb her."

"It's good to see you understand, usually she puts people off." Onox looked over to Sable "How is your training by the way? Reaped any souls yet? Shifted into any different forms?"

Sable took a moment to return from her inner inquisition, her voice rasped "Um… yes," she cleared it quickly "Yes, I've managed to reap the souls of two creatures and can so far shift into one of them. But it leaves me really sleepy afterwards."

Onox sheepishly admitted "That sounds better than being completely starving."

"How many creatures can you turn into?" Iris then quickly corrected herself "If that's not a rude thing to ask."

"It's not when coming from a witch, I can turn into three creatures. Frustratingly I'm still searching for some kind of aerial beast that suits me."

"What kind of beast would suit you?"

"I'd love to get my hands on the soul of a dragon, but they don't exist anymore. Even then, I have to admit I'm a little afraid of what might happen." Onox fell silent as he hugged his knees, his whole body shivered.

"How come?" Sable almost bit her tongue for being so blunt "It's just that, well… you know you can trust us, right?" She withered beneath his cold gaze "I'm sorry, I know you don't like talking about yourself, so you don't need to say anything if you feel uneasy about it."

For a moment he hesitated, he glanced over his shoulder to see that lights were out in the ranch house. Instinctively he turned to the caravan to confirm Veran was too busy to notice them. He gestured Iris and Sable to huddle closer to him. A calming expression appeared on his face as he smiled to them. Onox watched the flames as he confessed quietly "It feels like… I'm not sure… I have memories sometimes of being a dragon. Not just that though, I did horrible things to a land I couldn't recognise… I stole the seasons, but I don't know how…" He looked to the two girls who were now edging in closer with curiosity "I started getting those dreams when I was younger, until my family sent me off to work with Veran. I don't know why, but there's something familiar about her, like I know her from somewhere else."

Iris tilted her head "That's odd, why would you feel this and not ask her about it?"

Onox bluntly informed "You can't really ask her about it, Veran is one of the smartest people I know and good at keeping you guessing. If it's important I'm sure she'll tell us eventually." He then glanced to Sable "Your turn, you've been off with the fairies all day Sable, what's on your mind?"

A silence settled over the trio as the wind whistled through the fields. The cool night air was chased off by the warmth of the bonfire. Sable decided to share what troubled her "Do any of you know about another god that watches over Termina? One that's separate from the Giants?"

Onox replied and shook his head "Another god? No."

"There are many gods and goddesses out there, well, it's better to call them wild deities because they don't belong to anyone. They're kind of their own race beyond the veil of reality." Iris elaborated while waving her arms and making various gestures "They apparently live in a world beyond ours that encompasses everything around it… like Termina is just a small island on a huge ocean. This ocean is called the Twilight Realm where the deities roam. Apparently long before the races of Termina claimed the land as theirs, Termina was a playground for the deities when they wished to venture beyond the Twilight Realm." She took a deep gulp from her bottle of water.

By then Sable was poised over her notebook with a pencil in hand as she played scribe as she always did when presented with a new tale. Onox on the other hand appeared perplexed with wide eyed stare directed at the Deku.

"The Giants were one of the most powerful of the wild deities, these are known as primal deities and there are only a few of them that we know of. Anyway the Giants loved Termina so much that they dedicated their powers to protecting it." Iris scratched her chin "Although, I don't know what they were protecting it from."

Without looking up from her book, Sable prompted "Who are the other primal deities?"

"Well… there's the Oni and the Man-Eater, then there's also the Golden Goddesses. The Oni is a deity of abolition and order, while the Man-Eater is a deity of insanity and chaos, the only detail known about these two is that they fight with one another constantly." Iris scratched at her leafy hair "I don't really know what the Golden Goddesses stood for, but I know they don't like Termina."

Onox's face was utterly flustered "How could you know all this? I've never even heard of any of these things, well, aside from the Giants of course."

"I take it you don't know much about the Dekus, there's a reason we're so private." Iris saw Onox shake his head while Sable was waiting with bated breath. "The Deku Palace is only a small sliver of the Deku population, they worship the Southern Giant. The rest of us who live deep in the swamps beyond the reach of any Terminan, worship Odolwa, the wrath and the shadow of the Southern Giant. We are taught the forgotten tales of Termina."

Sable nervously asked "Is that why you were raised by Koume and Kotake?"

"Perhaps, my mother was a shadow priestess of Woodfall so who knows? Maybe she made a deal with the witches to take care of me when she died." Iris sighed out loud as she elaborated "Even then I don't think she truly died."

Onox suggested "So… she's an undead? I didn't know Dekus could be undead."

"No, it's more to do with what Termina truly is, it's why the Golden Goddesses despise us. Termina is a place for lost souls, some may call it purgatory while I think it's more accurate to call it a land where souls may sleep. We wander this land to have some chance of living. Some of us, we've been born already but fragments of ourselves prefer to linger here, others are merely waiting to be born and then there are those who were never meant to be born, but we exist here because we will it." Iris looked at Onox "I'm guessing your dreams are from what you will become or what you once were."

"And that's why we can speak with the Giants?" Sable added solemnly, flicking through her pages and looking over the tales she'd collected "It's why the deities even acknowledge us and can manifest in our world... isn't it?"

Onox protested loudly "You two cannot be serious!?" He threw his arms in the arm "I'm sorry Iris but that is utter nonsense, of course we exist!"

"I'm not saying we don't, it's just what we truly are. Think about it Onox, have you ever heard of anyone travelling beyond the boundaries of Termina? Ever been to another land far away?"

He was about to debate the matter when the realisation dawned on him. Despite travelling all over Termina, Onox and Veran had never left its boundaries. His mind was overwhelmed by such an epiphany, he glanced between Iris who appeared as calm as ever and Sable who looked tormented but persevered in collating more notes for her research.

Onox growled to them both "You two are utter fools for believing such nonsense. I can't believe that you would both even suggest such a thing. You're both idiots!" He abruptly stormed off to the caravan cursing to himself.

Iris was genuinely shocked by his response but she expected it. Her mind brought back to reality as Sable asked "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because when people find out they react like that." Iris sighed out loud "But I know it's true."

"I can't believe you kept this from me, of all people!"

Iris played with the hem of her sleeves and braced for the onslaught of insults to follow.

"I am trying to understand this amazing land and you're basically hiding a huge wealth of knowledge from me. This is… really important details as to why the world is structured the way it is."

She was taken aback, looking up to see Sable smiling at her. Iris narrowed her eyes "You mean, you're not angry?"

Sable sheepishly admitted "I guess I'm still greatly disturbed, but curiosity trumps it right now. I can freak out later, but I'd like to hear more about your tribe's stories some time." She glanced back at the caravan "Do you think he'll forgive us?"

Iris grimly predicted "They don't, they just hate you afterwards."

Her gaze did not move from the caravan "I see…"

"I'm sorry Sable. I should've kept my mouth shut."

"It's fine, I'll get over it."

They put out the flames and retired to their makeshift beds in the barn. Sable stared blankly at the ceiling as her mind swirled with thoughts. If having dreams of another life meant you lived elsewhere, then what did a lack of dreams mean? Even more curious was what happened to lost souls who died in Termina? Were they merely absorbed back into the Twilight Realm or did they go elsewhere? Question after question flooded her mind well into the night.

At dawn, a sliver of sunlight spilled through the cracks in the barn door. She heard the whinny of horses and a carriage being pulled away. Quietly she rose from her hammock tied between supporting poles. When she opened the door she saw Veran's caravan disappearing into the distance. Her heart sank further as the reality of the situation finally struck her. Her lines of questions had been a mere distraction from the fact that she lost one of the only friends she had ever made.


	15. Something is not right

The Carnival of Time was a little over a fortnight away by now. Sable finished stacking the freshly cut wood near the barn. Her eyes went to the night sky and the looming shadow overhead. Menacing yellow and red eyes stared back at Termina as something descended from the heavens. In fact, Sable could not recall the last time she had seen the moon travelling west with the arrival of night. Lately she had struggled to fall asleep at night and had barely touched her food at meal times. Those ominous eyes in the sky every night, it only reinforced just how insignificant and pathetic she was. Out of frustration she raised her axe once more and buried her anger into the wood before her. There were still a few more logs to carve up before the pile was done.

Around the front of the barn, the wagon was packed and ready to go. Cremia overlooked the necessary documentation as she double checked the order she was going to deliver. The sound of wood cutting echoed from behind the barn. It seemed to happen more frequently since Onox and Veran mysteriously left at dawn. Sable had kept quiet about what had happened and practically threw herself into helping around the ranch. The only explanation she received was from Iris, who merely indicated that she and Sable had a disagreement with Onox.

Nevertheless Cremia had come to appreciate Sable's help and her diligence. That kind of attitude was just what the ranch needed at a time like this. Mysterious occurrences such as broken milk bottles, spooked cows and destroyed fences were coming more frequent with the carnival's approach. Cremia was not deluded in slightest about who the culprits were, however now was not the time to confront them about it. Not with the carnival so close and the worrying news she had received from her friend Anju. It was fortunate that at least Sable was there to help with the repairs.

Cremia wandered around the back to find Sable cutting wood. She waved to get her attention and said "I have to make a delivery to Clock Town, would you like to come and help me? Also it'll give you a chance to spend some time in town."

Sable wiped the sweat from her brow and nodded "Alright, I've been meaning to go to town at some point."

They walked back to wagon, Sable jumping into the back of it with one swift leap. Cremia called out to her sister who was frolicking nearby "Romani! I'll be back after midnight. Keep an eye on things and don't spook the cows again with your stray arrows"

"Okay sis! You can count on Romani" cheered her younger sister

Cremia tugged the reigns of the wagon setting the horses off at a steady and calm pace.

Romani waved her sister off before scurrying away towards the Cucco hut. She entered it carefully to ensure no baby Cuccos would escape, Grog would never forgive her if she did. He appeared to be out of the hut tonight, although Romani never knew where he went. The enclosure for the Cuccos was a large fenced off area with plenty of perches and shelter. Hut really was inaccurate, it more like a palace for the little birds.

Iris was sitting calmly in the centre of it all and trying to meditate while sitting upon her broom. However being surrounded by adorable chicks did not really help with concentrating. She had managed to located the main enchantments of the training ground in this dirt patch. Despite the fact it was now a home for Cuccos, the magic that was cast into the earth had never dissipated. So far she had been able to get a few centimetres off the ground, she had not yet become confident enough to shoot off into the sky like Koume and Kotake.

"Witchy" called Romani "Witchy, how are you?"

"Don't call me Witchy, my name is Iris"

"Cool! You're actually hovering now!" cheered Romani "And besides, you are a witch so I should call you Witchy"

Iris felt like a fool as she sat on her broom still apprehensive and rigid out of fear from the thought of falling. She had already taken a few tumbles during her training.

"I still don't know how to turn with this thing so I'm not a real one yet," she reluctantly admitted "Not to mention this is utterly terrifying."

"It's alright! Romani believes you can do it!" cheered the little girl "Stop being afraid, you can do it! You're already making it float. How hard could flying be?"

Unbeknownst to Iris, the broom was already pacing around in circles while hovering a little higher. Romani laughed with glee, soon enough she would actually see a real life witch flying around.

* * *

The scenery passed in a quiet flow as the wagon travelled down the main road. Termina field surrounded them from all sides as the clock tower rose from the horizon. Oddly enough it felt a little too quiet. No monsters were prowling in the night, no bandits even attempted to steal their cargo and perhaps most strangely, the wind was not blowing. Termina was holding its breath that night and the uneasy silence froze over Sable and Cremia as they travelled towards Clock Town.

"They say everything is quiet because of that thing in the sky." Cremia did not turn to face Sable as she kept steering the horses "No one knows what that is, but rumours from lunatics suggest the moon might be falling. Apparently it'll be here by the carnival." She took a deep breath and brushed her bangs behind her ear "So why are you so down lately?"

Sable replied cautiously "How do you know I'm down? We've only known each other a few weeks."

"You're awfully quiet and while I appreciate your help, I get the feeling you're not doing too well."

"I guess not."

"Well, I think you should talk to someone, it's going to poison you if you keep it in."

"Thankyou Cremia."

"For what?"

"For actually caring."

Cremia smiled to herself as they curved with the road to arrive at their final destination. The wagon came to a halt outside the eastern gate of Clock Town. Sable remained on guard in case another Garo attempted to attack her. Her travelling companion appeared oblivious to the invisible threat as she leapt to the ground with a clipboard of papers. "Wait here, I need to talk to the guys inside"

"Alright" nodded Sable then looked to the Stone Towers in the distance.

Their crudely carved existence spoke to an era of lost knowledge. The barren stone walls of the valley only added to the mystique of the secrets hidden within. Even though her mind was gripped with a darkness she could not shake, a part of her still desired to explore those towers. It was the only thing that made sense to her now and it was possibly the only reason as to why she even crawled out of bed each morning.

An hour later the wagon was unloaded and the delivery to the Milk Bar was complete. Cremia flicked through her papers and nodded to herself "Seeing as we finished a little earlier today, why not take a break? I need to visit a friend anyway"

"Alright Cremia," said Sable "What time do you want to meet back here?"

"How about eleven? Should give use plenty of time to sort our business."

Sable nodded back as they parted ways through Clock Town. The Stock Pot Inn had not changed much since Cremia last visited a year ago. It seemed to be one of the only constants in town. However she knew she had to pay a visit given the news from Anju, her childhood friend. Cremia did not know what comfort she could offer Anju and was still unsure as she entered the inn.

"Cremia," said Anju's mother as she entered, the middle aged woman was behind the front counter "Long time no see."

"It's good to see you again," Cremia bowed her head a little "I came to see how Anju was doing since Kafei-" she could not even finish the sentence as the very uttering of that name ignited a fiery wrath in Anju's mother.

"That little bastard proposed to her and then just ran off. The wedding is coming up soon and he must've got cold feet. If I ever see him again I'll hang him up to dry!"

"So where is Anju?" asked Cremia nervously.

Her anger subsided a little, she sighed "In her room"

Cremia headed upstairs before Anju's mother could go on another tirade, then again it was justified given the circumstances. Cremia still could not believe it as Anju and Kafei had been obviously attracted to one another for as long as she could remember. She hesitated for a moment then knocked on the door of Anju's bedroom.

"Come in" called Anju.

She entered to find Anju at her desk madly sewing. The bride to be was making her gown carefully as she cut the templates and pinned them to the rolls of fabric. Parts of it were strewn throughout her bedroom and awaiting to be sewn together.

"It'll look beautiful when it's done," Cremia marvelled at the drawn design on a nearby wall "Anju… are you alright?"

Anju looked to Cremia with tears running down her cheeks "I'm fine…"

Cremia hugged her tightly and they remained like that for a few minutes as Anju bawled. As she wept, Anju kept sobbing "I know Kafei will come back! I know he will! So I have to make sure my mask and my gown is ready. He will come back for the carnival."

* * *

North Clock Town was devoid of adults as it was a sanctuary for children to play. Sable stood before the tunnel opening doubting if this was indeed the Great Fairy she sought. It was common knowledge that there was a Great Fairy in town, but she doubted if it was a genuine one. It seemed more fitting that an adult dressed in a costume would pretend to be one for the sake of the children. Now that she thought about it, she never did once enter the tunnel to see the fairy in question.

Sick of doubting herself, she decided to find the answer herself and entered the tunnel. Soon enough the stone and darkness parted to reveal familiar white polished stone. The fountain was similar to all the others she had seen. An archway circled the small pond of rippling water and the walls were lined with small stone edges. The walls themselves appeared to be nothing more than darkness illuminated by a bright orange glow dancing with rain.

The water of the fountain wavered as a celestial form solidified from the fluid with a mesmerising laugh. It was another beautiful woman with her body wrapped in vines and leaves. Her hair was bright orange and floated around her form. Her flame coloured eyes looked down upon Sable.

"Welcome Gomess child, what wisdom do you seek from me?"

Sable was utterly shocked "Wow… you're actually a real fairy!?"

"Yes, why would I not be?"

"Guess it's just… your fountain is so easy to find."

The Great Fairy giggled "That's refreshing, it's been a while since I had a good laugh. What are you here for child?"

"I wanted to know about this fused shadow," Sable held up her pendant "How do I awaken the dragon's soul?"

"A dragon's soul is a rare gift to a Gomess, they aren't won over easily."

"I know, so what must I do?"

"You must prove true courage to the dragon"

"But how do I do that?"

"No one really knows, the task is different for every person. But you'll know when the time has come." The Great Fairy outstretched a hand as the light danced around Sable. The light glowed and melted into her form. The fairy explained "Just a little thing to wake that dragon up. Don't worry, keep following your journey and all will become clear."

Sable bowed to the Great Fairy as she turned a left the fountain. The sound of laughter dancing in the air vanished into a whisper as the fairy disappeared. The fused shadow now felt warm against her chest, like something had finally awakened within it.

* * *

Through his telescope, Shikashi had no doubt in his mind that the shadow looming over Termina was the moon. The red eyes were a new feature and the alabaster shine had vanished to reveal cold dark stone. There were rumours of an imp wearing a mask sighted about Termina. The emergence of such a being suggested it was perhaps a catalyst to this peculiar cosmic abnormality. He retreated from the telescope, blinking a few times as he cracked his back. He sighed to himself "May the Giants save us."

The sound of his front door opening and closing roused him from his discovery. He descended from his observation deck to find Sable in his home. He immediately hugged her "Welcome back child, Gorko, Koume and Kotake have kept me well informed but it's a delight to see you again," he stood back from her and smiled "You've certainly matured into a fine young woman now. But what's the matter? Why do you look so sad?"

Sable knew she could not hide anything from him, he had raised her after all and knew most of her behavioural ticks. She confessed "I've been following my curiosity through Termina and uncovering a lot of things, what happens if you learn something that you don't want to know?"

Shikashi bit his tongue over his current discovery "What did you find out?"

"Is Termina real or is it just a playground for the wild deities?"

"Ah, that old theory about Termina being a realm of lost souls," Shikashi folded his arms over his chest "What is it that you're concerned about though? Is that really such a bad thing?"

"If I believe it, then it's like we're not even real. What more is that there's another world beyond this and… and we'll never see it."

"And yet here we are, living day to day lives as all living things do. Just because we live in different circumstances, it doesn't mean that we have no right to live." Shikashi consoled her "Knowledge is a double edged blade that dispel fears with truth, but sometimes the truth can be hard to accept. Do not feel like you're alone with this burden, you are not to first to learn of this truth and certainly not the last." A gentle smile wrinkled his withered face "At the end of this day, is this not a beautiful world to live in? Everything has its place and this is ours. But it is always hard to realise what gives our lives meaning, that is something that only you can decide."

Sable smiled for the first time in weeks, although his words were severe there was a calming wisdom to them.

"Now, a lot of time has passed since we last spoke and I'm sure you have plenty of tales to share with me." Shikashi walked over to their small kitchen "How about some coffee?"

Sable followed "That sounds great, but I got to meet my friend back in town at eleven."

"No problem, we have plenty of time to catch up, so how goes the research?"

The next few hours passed almost instantly as they discussed their respective projects. As the wagon rolled back towards Romani Ranch, Sable felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It was pleasant to not feel the burden of doubt circling over you like a bird of prey.


	16. Shattered Fairy

A week and a few days followed on from the visit to the Clock Town. Iris was relieved to see Sable a bit more chipper in her attitude. While she was still a far cry from the girl she once was, she was showing signs of improvement. In the meantime Iris had honed her own skills into levitation and was now confident enough to fly on her broom. She spent many days zooming around the perimeter of the ranch. The wind rustling through her leaves made her giggle with glee. There was something about hurtling at a wicked speed and staring death in the face that made her feel alive.

Finally the day came when Iris had managed to convince Sable it was safe to travel by broom. On a sunny day, Cremia and Romani saw their temporary lodgers off at the edge of the ranch. Romani was distraught now that her friendly witch was now leaving. Her sister on the other hand was a little saddened to be losing another helper.

Sable narrowed her eyes at the broom in Iris' hand "Are you sure about this? I mean, we're going to be flying at a very high height and I don't feel like plummeting to my death this young."

"Relax, I know what I'm doing." Iris confidently replied and mounted her broom. Her travelling companion was not so convinced as she remained standing beside her. She taunted in a friendly way "Come on! Don't be such a Cucco."

"I just don't like the idea of your magic failing when we're all the way up there." Sable pointed to the sky.

"But we won't," Iris laughed "Come on, take a chance."

Sable let out a growl as she slung her bag over her shoulders. Her confidence was wavering the more she thought about it and finally took a seat behind Iris. Although there would soon be magic in play, Sable felt like a true fool just standing there with a broom between her legs.

Iris waved to their gracious hostesses "Thankyou for letting us stay with you."

"A pleasure, any time you need a place you're welcome here." grinned Cremia as she bowed her head to them.

"Romani will miss you Witchy and Jester." said her little sister with curtsey.

"Are you even sure this broom is big enough for both of us?" muttered Sable under her breath.

"Just trust me and hold onto your hat." Iris nodded and focused her new found magic into her broom as she had practised. Defying gravity, they began to hover above the ground and ascended at a steady pace. The pair of sisters resembling a pair of dramaturgical masks, Romani cheered them on while Cremia looked utterly horrified and covered her eyes with her hands. Floating higher into the air, they could now see Termina's landscape stretched below them like a carpet. The ocean to the west beckoned them to come with its azure waters and playful waves. Iris kicked her broom into full throttle as they sped towards their destination.

* * *

Wind cut around them as they soared effortlessly over the cerulean sea that cloaked the Great Bay. All manner of pinnacles and craggy rocks sprouted from the water line like crosses on a treasure map. They swooped over a rocky cliff to find an entire pirate fortress hidden from view. Numerous ships danced across the ocean in search of adventure. Each flew the black flag of the Jolly Roger to herald their passage. A large half submerged fish tail rose on the horizon and closer to the inlet of the bay.

Upon their descent the water revealed to be more turquoise than azure. The shimmering waves were really opaque and looked diseased. In the distance was an ominous wisping vortex of mist so dense it was near impossible to decipher what it concealed. Aside from the pirate ships, there were oddly no Zora seen frolicking along the tide. There were no merchants or fishermen along the coast either. Sable gripped the broom tighter as the absence of life disturbed her greatly. The bay now looked sickly compared to the glorious sight from a distance.

They wove through the various crags and jutting towers of rock. Iris kept composed the entire flight as she masterfully guided the broom through the air. A tap on her shoulder followed by a gesture diverted her attention to their landing. Sable had spotted a tunnel amongst the rocky cliffs near the large fish tailed island. The broom was steered sharply to narrowly skim across the ocean before vanishing into the tunnel.

With their feet back on the ground, Iris turned to Sable who was still holding onto the broom like her life depended on it. The height difference had resulted in only Sable being able to put her feet on the ground as her death grip secured the broom over the ground. The Deku tittered "We've landed, it's safe to let go."

She glared back at her, looking utterly rattled by the flight "That was insane."

"And what do you intend to do if you get the form of a flying creature? Just hide from the idea of flight?"

"No, it was amazing and you are as well for being able to do that. It's just…"

"You're a control freak and you don't like trusting others." Iris laughed at Sable's hurt face "Don't worry, I'm the same, it's probably why we get along."

Sable's features softened as she smiled back "I'll check to see if the fairy is in, would you like to come with me?"

"No, I don't really like Great Fairies." Iris sat cross legged on the ground "I'll just wait here."

A casual glance turned to the scenery as Iris tried to make the most of her first visit to the bay. She found herself distracted by a flickering stream of darkness and light as two fairies soared nearby. A shadowy imp manifested in the corner of her eye wearing an eerie rainbow mask. Its eyes were reminiscent of the moon hanging in the sky. However anyone with the knowledge of the forgotten lore knew of this mask, even if the reasons behind its creation were lost.

"Majora's Mask! But how!?" Iris stood with her broom in hand, unsure of whether fire or ice would be more effective, however the imp had disappeared into nothing.

* * *

Darkness parted to reveal another identical fountain carved from iridescent white stone. Gentle violet light cut through the shadows and shimmered through the eternal rain. As Sable approached the pool of water, the fountain came alive as the Great Fairy solidified with her celestial dance. Her elegant form wreathed in vines and leaves while her indigo hair danced with a life of its own. She looked down upon Sable with an openhearted smile "Welcome Gomess child. The other fairies have mentioned your journey so I knew you would eventually arrive here."

"I am honoured that you have noticed me," Sable bowed as she said "Then you know I seek the Ocean Tiger, can you tell me how to find it?"

"That is difficult to say. The Ocean Tiger is a wanderer of the seas who only returns to the bay at the equinox. But I'm afraid with the condition of the ocean at the moment… it will not return at all."

"Then how do we fix the ocean?"

"By slaying the gargantuan masked fish, Gyorg."

"The wrath of the Western Giant?" Sable's ears twitched as she declared "That's impossible! It can't be done! Are you sure there is no other way?"

"I know, the one destined to cleanse the ocean hasn't reached Termina yet. But I suspect he will be any day now."

"What do you mean?"

The Great Fairy grimly informed in a cold, calculated voice "The curse of Majora's Mask is now upon us, it is corrupting every corner of this land. Surely you cannot ignore the moon's appearance in the sky. It will crash into Termina and shatter all existence on the eve of the Carnival of Time."

The announcement only reignited all doubt and despair that previously shackled her mind. Sable was speechless, her voice shaking as she said "Then… what can we do? What can I do?"

"There is nothing we can do… we are all doomed unless the Fierce Deity challenges the Man-Eater once again. Only they can end this tragic game."

"Then where is he?" Sable demanded "If he had to arrive in Termina he will surely need someone to guide him. My friend could even fly him to where he needs to go. You can't tell me there's nothing that can be done and that we're supposed to sit here and wait for the apocalypse!"

"That is the truth of the situation, there is nothing that can be done by our hands. We ca-" The Great Fairy then screamed like a banshee as her pupils constricted. All elegance drained from her form as she doubled over and flailed erratically in the air like a marionette controlled by an insane puppeteer.

The mischievous voice of a child rang out over her suffering "You Great Fairies have caused me nothing but trouble, it's time I silenced you for good."

Cracks appeared on the fairy's skin as light filtered through her breaking shell. She let out a final cry, her entire being shattering into violet light and vanishing into the ether.

Before Sable could react, Iris was by her side and poised with an ember burning in her hand. Glancing over her shoulders, the witch informed "I saw someone wearing Majora's Mask outside. I didn't think you should be alone."

"Interesting that you know what this mask is, you're probably the only one so far."

The infamous spiked harlequin mask with luminous eyes was the first to materialise from the air. The form of a skull kid then appeared behind the mask and formed beneath the light along with two fairies. The patterns of ragged clothes were unmistakable and it was beyond Iris' logic as to how a dweller of the forest got their hands on such an ancient relic. He stood before them with perfect posture as the mask tilted to one side.

"You two look like you're good friends," his voice dripped venom as he sneered "How about a mind swap?"

Iris ordered Sable "Burn him!" Her own hands were now wavering with frozen crystals. The magic unleashed in the form of wildly contorting water that rose beneath the skull kid. Rapidly they crystallised into barriers of ice that put a gap between him and his prey.

The fairy of darkness panicked "Skull Kid, I got a bad feeling about this!"

"No kidding Tael," sneered the fairy of light "Since when could Dekus freeze water!?"

"There's no reason to be so mean Tatl!"

Skull Kid paused as a shadow rose from behind the icy walls followed by a warm glow. He narrowly dodged the clawed talon engulfed in flames that lunged through the frost in an attempt to grab him. A demonic lizard wreathed in fire was slowly edging towards him. Wild strikes from its powerful limbs broke through the ice as it breathed flames throughout the fountain. To his shock, he saw that the jester girl had vanished completely.

The form of the Fire Salamander was tremendously powerful. Sable was amazed at how easy it was to shatter through sheets of ice that only a Goron could break. She felt the fire along her spine blaze as she unleashed a whirlwind of flame that engulfed the fountain. When the flames had subsided, the remnants of Iris' magic had melted into nothing, not even the white stone was charred and Skull Kid was nowhere to be found.

"What an interesting creature you are," He materialised before her, his entire form floating in the air as he reclined with his arms folded over his chest "I didn't need to do anything to you, you're already a freak." He cackled at her and vanished, his voice cruelly lingered "A freak who killed her own friend!"

Sable turned slowly to see Iris collapsed near the tunnel's entrance. Flames burnt her delicate wooden body. In an instant Sable was at her side and picked up the small Deku with one clawed hand. To her amazement, Iris was not burnt, instead her leafy hair had shifted into a mane of fire. Weakly the Deku opened one eye and chirped "That was a little too close for comfort."

The Fire Salamander gently lowered Iris to the ground then became engulfed in darkness to revert back to Sable's Terminan body. She fell to her knees, panting as she said "That body is going to take some time to get used to… I'm so tired."

"Come on, let's find somewhere you can rest." Iris glanced around the chamber "I don't think we should stay here much longer and there's nothing we can do to help her."

"What is Majora's Mask? You said it before."

"A relic the Gomess found when they descended into the Twilight Realm. It's the vessel of the primal deity, the Man-Eater, but the mask is named after Majora who was the one to cast it back into the darkness." Iris shook her head, her mane of fire reverted back to leaves "I don't know why or how it's resurfaced, but I know nothing good will come of it."

Sable nodded in agreement and followed her out of the fountain. An uneasy silence settled on the ancient shrine and the magic began to wane. The darkness slowly consumed the violet light and plunged the broken fountain into oblivion. From this nothingness, the Great Fairy fought back, tiny fragments of her being materialised as a swarm of violet fairies. Although all the fragments were not united, some had been spirited away to the Great Bay temple. Now all she could do was wait for the hero to reunite the shards of her soul.


	17. Dawn of the Final Day

The moon was slowly approaching with every hour that passed. The orb of stone glared down at the clock tower with the hatred of a god. Despite staring up at the face of their demise, Termina still functioned as its denizens scrambled over the land and sea to carry on their lives. Compared to the problem plaguing every corner of their homeland, the problem of a falling moon could wait. Even then, not all were convinced that it was going to fall. Their hearts changed their tune as the days leading to the Carnival of Time progressed and the moon only grew larger in the sky.

The Carnival of Time was an unusual festival in Veran's eyes. No doubt it was a wonderful celebration, the true reasons for its performance had been lost to the pages of history. She had halted the caravan in the fields yet again, feeling an all too familiarity with the day. The past three days had been repeated over and over again for what felt like weeks. To her dismay, she seemed to be the only one aware of this repetitive cycle and it seemed no matter where she went everyone always reacted the same way. She was trapped on a one way ride and just wanted to get off.

Adding further insult to injury was the fact that any progress she made on her masks was undone with the reversal of time. Veran had been drained of inspiration to complete her works and was now sick of the carnival. She just wanted it to be the day after the whole debacle so she could move on with her life. She shook her head and growled at the moon "What are you glaring at, ugly!? Just fall already and be done with this land!"

It answered by making the earth tremble and quake wildly, sending Veran to her knees. In a flash she was back on her feet as she yelled at the sky "ENOUGH OF YOUR GAMES MAN-EATER!"

"Veran?" Onox was surprised to find her shouting at nothing. In all the years he had known her, he never seen her behave so erratically. "Are… are you alright?"

She let out another scream before turning to him "No, I'm not, I feel like I'm going insane. We've been living through these past three days for Giants know how long now!"

"I admit, the moon is a bit scary, just hanging over Clock Town like that…" Onox laughed nervously "But to think we've been living the same three days? You must be going crazy."

"I'm not, Termina is being punished yet again by the deities," Veran's voice returned to its icily calm pitch "The Golden Goddesses must be laughing at us from their precious sacred realm."

"Now I really think you're crazy," Onox shrugged as he announced "There are no other deities other than the Giants and that's that."

"You're wrong, they do exist and some wish to eradicate Termina. No doubt this is just another twist of fate decreed by the Golden Goddesses." Veran saw the mortified look on his face, his body was physically trembling as his mind reeled. She placed her hands on her hips "What's with you?"

"So… it's true isn't it? Termina is a realm for lost souls…"

"Wait I never said that, in fact where did you even hear that?"

"Iris told me and Sable believed it instantly… it's, it's why we had a falling out."

In that instant everything clicked into place as Veran finally understood. The abrupt departure from Romani Ranch, the constant drifting at Onox's request and the reluctance to go near the Southern Swamps, all were signs leading back to this discussion. Veran narrowed her eyes at him "You mean we left that ranch weeks ago because you were too pigheaded to listen to your friend!? And here I was thinking that you were a gentleman? HA!" She stormed over to the caravan "Some gentleman you really are. You're as foul mannered as a dragon patriarch!"

Onox followed after her, he was enraged as he bluntly admitted "I was scared, alright! It's just… I…" he shivered all over, his voice was rough as he struggled to contain his anger "I couldn't believe that all this was just some illusion. We're real, we do exist."

"I think you misunderstood the meaning of this realm," Veran retrieved a small telescope from her satchel "This is where souls can wander and be someone else. Not everyone is pleased with their place in weave of fate, so we live here instead with the wild deities for company. We're not monsters or insignificant because of it. This world is as real as anything those Golden Goddesses crafted." She stood a nearby hill and said without turning "Grow up, you're acting like a bratty child you idiot."

Silence echoed from her words, shocking Onox into contemplation. He finally mustered up the words and the nerve to ask "Why do you know all this?"

"If Argorok ever accepts Sable as her new master, I'll tell you." Veran put her eye to the lens of her telescope and looked at the scenery.

"You know what, forget it! I'm sick of being in the dark all the time!"

"Only because you overreact like a moron when you're faced with the truth."

She heard grass and twigs being crushed under heavy boots followed by growled curses. A glance over her shoulder revealed Onox storming off into the wilderness alone. At least that was a deviation from the usual routine of the three days. However she doubted he would even recall it by the end of the day, when the moon falls and engulfs Termina in fire. The lucid memories of being burned alive were hard to shake and Veran did her best to quell such morbid recollections.

Through the telescope, a strange figure entered her vision. A young boy dressed in green clothes on the back of a horse. A sword and shield rested on his back as a golden fairy tried its best to match the horse's pace. Never before had Veran seen this child roaming the fields in the repeated cycle of Termina's demise. The most curious detail about him were his eyes, he may have possessed the body of a young boy on the cusp of his teens. Yet his eyes, blue as the heavenly sky, reflected a determined maturity seen only in veterans of war and victims of misfortune.

With awe, Veran lowered her telescope with wide eyes. She had finally caught a glimpse of all too familiar soul. Even though he was wearing a different skin, there was no doubt that a fragment of the Fierce Deity, the Oni, was present in the blue eyed youth. For the first time since this damned cycle began, Veran felt a glimmer of hope that Termina may be saved.

* * *

Echoes of waves tossing frantically in the distance stirred her consciousness once more. Sable awoke to find herself beneath a makeshift roof of palm leaves and logs. All she could remember was curling up in a secluded inlet of rocks. With the impending extinction of Termina, she recalled wanting to come up with a solution the moment she awoke. Immediately bolting upright, Sable found Iris sitting a little way from her. Her head lifted towards the heavens as the moon appeared to have nearly arrived. The painful grimace upon the stone's face glowered at Termina as the land quivered beneath its gaze.

"Iris, how long was I asleep?" Sable clambered towards her, she grabbed her by the shoulder "What day is it now!?"

Iris remained limp like a doll, her voice was cold "It's the eve of the carnival."

"Great!" Sable gritted through her teeth "It's the day of the apocalypse and I've slept in!"

"It's not like we would've made a difference anyway. This is a game between the Oni and the Man-Eater, it is no place for mere mortals like us."

"But… we can't just do nothing?!"

"Nothing we can do can correct any of this," Iris stood with broom in hand "All we can do is take refuge and pray that Termina is still here in the morning. I'm going to return to the swamplands, I wish to see Mistress Koume and Kotake one last time."

The magnitude of the situation caused Sable's chest to tighten, she nearly whimpered "Then I'll go to Clock Town, Professor Shikashi was the only family I had for most of my life."

"I see… well…" Iris looked to Sable "I guess this is where we part ways for now. If either of us survives the apocalypse… we…"

"It's alright… I'm scared too. But we have to take refuge where we can find it. If the apocalypse doesn't happen I'll…" Sable's eyes welled with tears "I'll see you at the Carnival of Time!"

Iris nodded solemnly as she mounted her broom and took to the sky. Sable got to her feet, slinging her travelling bag over her body in one swift movement. As she made her way down the beach her mind kept reeling. She was too afraid to even look up, she could not even take the ghastly face of the moon staring back at her like the inferior bug she was.

On the path leading back to the fields, Sable noticed a new addition to the scenery. A grave was near a rocky cove marked with a familiar guitar carved from the skeleton of a giant Desbrekos. Out of curiosity she approached the monument to see who had died. An inscription read _'Herein lies Mikau, the legendary guitarist of the Zora tribe. He is to be remembered in song, and his lyrics are written here'_. For respect of the dead, Sable bowed to the grave before resuming her journey back to Clock Town.

The white walls blocking her path proved to be no challenge as she shifted into the agile form of the Forest Fox. Ascending and leaping from the walls were simple, transforming back into her usual body beneath a veil of darkness. The shadows flecked from her to leave a trail of wispy darkness before vanishing into the air. By now her body had adjusted to shifting to that particular form so she found it easy to shift and did not feel the need to sleep excessively afterwards. Even if she wanted to, she could not rest now, not with the moon so close to Termina.

* * *

A trail of destruction led from the fields into Ikana Valley. Trees were uprooted, boulders were smashed into pieces and monsters cowered in hiding. Onox kept marching through the desolate canyons as he felt his rage boil through his blood. So consumed with anger, he did not even notice the few patches of verdant grass wither beneath his feet. He did not even care how long he had marched through the wasteland of the damned. Ever since confronting Veran earlier, his entire being was consumed with the need to destroy.

At that moment Link was navigating the canyons as well. He had proved victorious in the Stone Towers and freed the Eastern Giant. Oddly after the battle, the Giant's Mask he had found appeared to have lost all power outside the temple. Usually after conquering a dungeon he would feel relieved in seeing that region of Termina restored, but here in Ikana it was different. The air was still heavy with cursed, malevolent power. All manner of the undead still roamed the land, it was beyond him how Pamela and her father could live in such a place. However if King Igos was to be believed then it sounded like all Skull Kid did in Ikana was merely open the doors of the Stone Towers.

The entire kingdom disturbed him greatly and the fact that the Stone Tower Temple was so serene in comparison only unsettled him more. During his venture through the temple in his search for Twinmold, he remembered seeing all manner of idols and relics carved in the visage of Majora's Mask. There had to be a connection between that accursed mask and the towers. The earth trembled with fear once more as the sky took on the hue of blood. A soul chilling familiarity Link had been accustomed to as the eve of the third day approached. Nevertheless his mind was now focused and his path was clear, having freed the four Giants he could now face Skull Kid once more on equal footing.

Tatl roughly collided with the back of his head "Link, hold up! There's something wrong."

"I wish you'd stop hitting me like that," he grumbled and adjusted his hat "What is it? Another Garo?"

The fairy trembled "No, it's something much more malicious… much eviler."

Link instinctively ducked beside a nearby rock, he edged out a little to peer down the road leading to the fields. A large figure blocked his path, dressed in a mix of leather and iron armour he almost looked as massive and imposing as an Iron Knuckle. His blood red eyes pulsed with a dark energy as he snarled like a rabid beast. Given the precious little time he had left, Link armed his bow, recalling King Igos' final words, and equipped the Light Arrow he had found in the Stone Towers. He carefully aimed, aware that this man may only be cursed rather than a monster, and fired with precision.

Pain surged through every fibre of Onox's body as the holy light struck him with the intensity of lightning. The source of this blinding pain came from an arrow that struck his shoulder blade, narrowly missing his vital organs but positioned to incapacitate him. In that moment he felt his anger dim and his mind return to clarity. As he fell to his knees, a blue eyed boy with a golden fairy ran past. The boy said to him while he passed by "I'm sorry."


	18. The Final Night

The streets of Clock Town were adorned with all manner of garish banners, masks, flags and towers. Usually the eve of the Carnival of Time was a joyous event that wielded fireworks to herald the beginning of the festivities. Now it remained deserted aside from a few loyal guards and those who had given up on taking refuge. The horrific grimace of the moon hovered just above the rooftops as Sable made her way through East Clock Town. The various side alleys of carnival games and stalls for the markets were all but abandoned. Ignoring the desolate surroundings, she disappeared down the side alley that joined to the sewer just near the Mayor's office. Her footsteps echoed through the dank tunnels as she made her way home.

Shikashi was abruptly jolted back to reality at the sound of his door breaking open. He turned from his telescope to find Sable at the doorway. Her breathing ragged and her body drenched with sweat, she had obviously been running for some time now. With all the time the world, he descended from his telescope and went to the kitchen. He offered her a glass of water and said "I'm surprised to see you here."

Sable drained the glass quickly, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand "Why wouldn't I be? The world is going to end tonight, we need to take refuge so come on. Pack up what you need and we'll get going."

Shikashi let out a sigh "And go where?"

"I don't know, but not here, we're too close to where the moon will fall."

"My calculations predict that the impact of the moon's fall will obliterate all life in Termina." He saw the terror contort her face "You know my calculations are never wrong."

Words trembled from Sable's mouth "So… there really is nothing we can do… but, all stories have a hero to fight the evil threatening everyone."

"In the real world, a hero doesn't always nobly rise to the challenge and overcome adversary. Sadly for us, there is no hero in this tale."

By then Sable had broken down into tears, her body weakly fell to its knees as she succumbed to the crippling fear that had been building inside her all day. Hands then wrapped around her shoulders and led her to her feet once more. Shikashi smiled, calm as always, then said "Come on, let's look upon the sky once more before Termina is destroyed."

* * *

The moon's fiery wrath enveloped the sky with a haze. Even in the Woods of Mystery, the land was not immune to the encroaching death. Having returned to the swamp and finding neither Koume nor Kotake at their homes, Iris was trekking deeper into the nearby woods. From her clan this land was known as a refuge for lesser deities which gave it its unusual qualities. Those who wandered too long either died or mutated beyond recognition into a monster. In all her time spent wandering these woods, Iris had discovered that Dekus and Gomess were immune to this hex.

Even the local monsters who foraged and hunted were nowhere to be seen. The end of the world had suffocated every life of Termina with a miasma of fear. The torture before their release was only drawn out by the moon slowly moving towards the Clock Tower. Iris tried her best to ignore the frantic screams of the earth as it rocked and shifted erratically. Her dedication to the dark arcane kept her mind clear and guided her to her mistress.

Beyond the ancient glade that preserved the Forest Fox was a final clearing. It was the actual edge of the Woods of Mystery which held a strange monolith embedded among the cliff face. A pillar of jet black stone etched with angular patterns, half were coloured red and the other side was blue. All the lines and elaborate flourishes met in the centre to create a visage of Majora's Mask upon the surface of the black gemstone. It stood the height and width of a Goron, although its existence was known only to those who had a link with the Twilight Realm.

Standing before the monolith and bathing in the azure and crimson light stood a tall woman. She appeared to be of Gerudo descent with dark skin and elegantly pointed features. However that was where the similarities ended. Draped in black robes etched with patterns of arcane, her hair was split between two cascading manes of fire and ice.

Iris approached her and said "Mistress Twinrova, I've finally returned after mastering the gift of flight as well as the frost and fire manes."

"Very good, I could expect no less of my conduit." She never strayed far from the monolith, the strange relic was one of a kind. A stone enchanted so that lesser deities could take on their true forms outside the Twilight Realm without the aid of a conduit. Twinrova smiled at the little Deku, so proud of the growth she had displayed. "How long has it been since I took you are my apprentice?"

"Fourteen… maybe fifteen years? I lost count, you've always treated me so well."

"And to think your tribe expected me to accept you as a living sacrifice? I could not bear to waste such potential."

"Even so… why is it that Termina must end now?"

"Well, we don't know if it will, after all this is just a game between the Fierce Deity or the Oni and Majora or the Man-Eater… although, all those eons in isolation with each other… that never ending hatred for what Termina was in her era and the corruptive insanity of the Man-Eater… They're probably one and the same now." Twinrova sat down before the monolith "I hope the Oni can put her out of her misery… That poor woman, having to suffer within the abyss with that… with that abomination."

Iris knelt opposite her master and shyly asked "If we do all die, what will become of the lost souls, like me?"

"Some will return to dreaming, awaiting their emergence or merely returning to the lands the Golden Goddesses carved. Termina is merely a reverie for them. Others will be welcomed in the Twilight Realm and forget everything. They won't even remember existing."

"If I am swallowed by the Twilight Realm, please remember us. Remember all of us."

"I promise, child, I will never forget you, Sable, Veran, Onox, Ganondorf… I will never forget." Twinrova then held Iris close like a mother and child. They remained in their tiny oasis as Termina continued to fall to pieces around them.

* * *

Clouded mist cloaked the moon as it drew ever closer to the Clock Tower. Fragments of debris from the town wafted upwards like leaves in the wind. The night sky was tainted by an aura of unbelievable darkness hued with crimson. Everything beneath was fouled with the scourge of death as all Termina could do was wait for death to embrace them. At the observatory, Shikashi and Sable stood outside behind the iron fence. Their gaze never shifting from the sky as the stars began to dim.

Shikashi smiled weakly to himself "What a glorious final sight to look upon."

"It is beautiful in its own way." Sable wiped a tear from her face as she bravely held herself together. She would not spend her final moment bawling like a newborn. "W… why are we so helpless? It doesn't make sense, we go about our lives trying to prove our wisdom, courage and strength… but in the end… we truly are helpless"

Shikashi answered, his voice tranquil as he had made peace with his end, "I don't know, that's just the way we were made. Mortality is our greatest triumph and our most humiliating defeat"

In silence, they both returned their gaze to the sky and watching the moon's final descent into the Clock Tower. Sable felt her breathing calm as her mind finally accepted her death. The lurking despair had become one with her. She only hoped their deaths would be swift and painless so they could pass into the unconsciousness of eternal rest. The nightmare they were faced with would become nothing.

* * *

Slumped against the canyons Onox carefully navigated through the darkness. His footing was unsteadied by the quaking ground. Flecks of darkness tore from the air and wafted into the night sky, gravitating towards the moon. His mind had awoken recently to find an arrow in his shoulder and the boy in green had vanished. Disorientated and at a loss, he wandered through the valleys of death to find his way back to field. It was a futile endeavour given the final hour, but something in him forced him to keep walking. He would not turn his back on the apocalypse or hide in refuge like a coward.

Amidst the cries of Termina and chaotic screams of the moon's wrath, an eerie melody rang clearly through the night. The unmistakable sound of an ocarina resonated from the direction of the Clock Tower. The harmonious song cleaved through the madness and echoed in the ears of all living creatures. At that instant, Onox could feel something change in the air. Something great, something of unbelievably awesome power had been summoned by the song of that ocarina.

From the ether of the realms beyond Termina, they came to answer the Oath to Order. Long tall bodies that reached beyond the clouds materialised from the air with a ghostly whisper. Their massive footsteps did not harm or damage any part of the land as they gracefully bounded from the four regions of Termina. Their bodies solidified with dark red skin upon their approach to the Clock Tower. Their bristled pale hair shaded with yellows and green as their eyes were as black as the void of night. These creatures were illogical, with no true body and only a head and gangly limbs. Nevertheless, there was no mistaking as to who and what they were. They were the primal deities who guarded Termina, the Giants.

Although he could never hope to travel the same speed or even reach their destination. Onox forced himself into the form of a dodongo, curled up into a ball and raced after the Eastern Giant as fast as his reptilian body could manage.

* * *

Sitting upon a stone mushroom in the fields that divided Clock Town and the northern mountains, Veran allowed her senses to become immersed in the Oath to Order. There was only one type of mortal that could even play that song. No doubt in her mind, the blue eyed boy was the one responsible for this change. After what felt like an eternity, Termina could move beyond the three day cycle. The imprisonment enforced by Majora could finally be broken. The Giants strode effortlessly towards Clock Town to surround the tower. The moon was mere orb to them as they raised their arms in the air. Their hands met with its craggy and cold surface as they mustered all their might. Termina finally stopped shaking with terror as the moon remained suspended over Clock Town by the Giants.

All was not right though, Veran felt the violent pulse of magic from the Twilight Realm. She looked to her arms to see the shadows crawl over her skin. Her iridescent wings came briefly into sight before vanishing with an electrical jolt through her body. Picking herself from the ground she now saw that the moon's mouth was open and that it swallowed someone. A link formed between the tower and the moon twisted into a vortex of golden and red light. The Giants were shaking beneath the weight of their load as they persevered in protecting Termina.

Once again, Veran felt herself helpless beneath the aura of magic that exuded from the moon. Her entire body felt like it was slowly coming undone and returning to the Twilight Realm. Her fingers were beginning to fade away into the air as they turned black and broke away as weightless ash. This slow torture continued for hours as Veran helplessly watched her arms fade away. The pain finally stopped as the vortex of light cloaked the moon instead. The ashes materialised back into Veran's body to fully restore her. As she struggled to her feet, she witnessed the moon flying back into the night sky where it belonged.


	19. The Carnival of Time

The morning light peered through the curtains of the Stock Pot Inn. Kafei was still in Anju's arms, having been reunited by a boy named Link. He momentarily stood back, sensing something changing about him. A blinding flash of light emitted from his body as he restored to his true age. Anju laughed to herself, noticing that his hair had not changed in the slightest. She threw her arms around him once more. She could not believe the cruel trick of fate he had been inflicted with, then again, neither could believe that Termina would live to see another day. They were prepared for their demise and strong enough to withstand it. So long as they were in each other's arms one last time.

For a moment Kafei looked at Anju, now he was reunited he realised just how much he missed being with her. Moving in he kissed her gently on the lips and smiled "Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bridal gown?"

Anju shyly beamed back "We've already exchanged masks," the ivory oval etched with a rune of love laid on the nearby bed "So… we're already husband and wife."

"Do we bother with the ceremony or just enjoy the carnival?"

"Seeing as we're not dead, I think our families will be expecting us."

Kafei leant in for another kiss before parting from his bride once more. He left the inn to tell his parents of the events that had transpired regarding his disappearance. It was not all severity and picking up the pieces of a world almost ruined. After all, today was his wedding day and he intended to enjoy every moment of it.

In the early hours of the morning East Clock Town was still relatively deserted. However Kafei assumed this would change as the day progressed. Large shadows cloaked the ground as two giant feet stood within the city walls. He held his scream as he looked up to see one of the Giants walking over through the Clock Town and returning to the east. It was beyond him how something so massive could walk with such grace and not damage anything.

* * *

From their vantage point at the observatory, Sable and Shikashi watched the Giants march back to their respective temples. They parted from the centre of Termina and took a hundred steps to the north, south, east and west. Both were still in shock from the sheer power they had witnessed and more importantly, the fact they live to tell the tale. Sable was the first to speak, her voice was utterly surprised "The Giants saved us… but how? The Great Fairy of the Great Bay said the Giants were possessed by their shadows."

"That means a third deity intervened." Shikashi nodded wisely, he smiled to Sable "If the old tales are to be believed, the Oni has beaten the Man-Eater once more."

"Why do they fight anyway?"

"I don't think it's fighting, I like to believe that the deities are as complex as us mortals. They are not purely good or evil and can have flaws."

"So… the Oni and the Man-Eater are just playing?"

He shrugged to her "Who knows?" Shikashi turned and approached the door "I'm going to take a nap and head to the carnival later."

"The carnival… of course." Sable glanced in the direction of Clock Town, at the same time she felt apprehensive. There would be no avoiding Onox or Veran while the carnival was on. At the same time she had missed it for the past few years due to her training.

"Don't be so down, we've just survived an apocalypse. Smile and be happy."

Sable nodded back to him and headed inside. After she had sorted her belongings out her first order of business was to acquire a new mask for the event. From rummaging through the various stacks of books she came up with the sum of twenty rupees. She hoped it would be enough to purchase one as she headed out into the tunnels to make it back to Clock Town.

The streets were starting to fill as survivors emerged from their hiding places. Although it was not yet anywhere near the usual size of the crowds who attended the carnival. Sable walked through the streets as merchants and musicians set up their respective areas for the days of celebration ahead. Already the town began to smell of various sweet treats and roasted meat as every chef and street cook prepped for the attending masses. Frustratingly, Sable could not locate any mask merchant willing to sell her anything within her budget. They had all hiked up their prices now the carnival was back on and the world had not ended.

She heard someone call her name from nearby, turning around she saw Veran setting up her caravan. The tall maiden waved back to her with a warm smile. "Come help me with the stall tonight, Onox is… having a tantrum and can't be reasoned with."

"But I don't have a mask or costume. How can I advertise such artesian wares looking like this?" Sable gestured to her outfit only to have a heavy sack shoved in her outstretched arms. From unveiling contents she found herself staring at the face of a dragon. Its face was contoured with metallic scales that resembled plate armour. The robes to match were a mix of costume armour and a long cloak divided to resemble reptilian wings.

"I call it the mask of Argorok. Get in the caravan and get changed quickly."

Sable asked as she ushered into the cart "What about you?"

"I'll change after you, alright?" Veran closed the door, turning around she nearly crashed into Onox who had somehow snuck up on her. From the looks of him, he had not slept since storming off and there was an arrow imbedded in his shoulder that he could not be bothered removing. "So… calmed down now?"

He nodded to her like a child who was being lectured by their parent.

She wrapped her fingers around the arrow and pulled it out, he did not even wince at the pain "Good, now get your costume on, you'll be working with Sable for the rest of the carnival." Veran was so distracted by the fact that his wound was being ignored that she forgot Sable was getting changed right that moment. The scream followed by the elated cheering did not go unnoticed by the nearby merchants.

* * *

When night finally fell, Link found himself mesmerised by the colours and costumes of the carnival. He had every intention to leave Termina and continue his search for Navi. But upon seeing Clock Town slowly coming back to life he figured a reprieve was more important at that moment. The moon had returned to its alabaster hue as it continued its usual path of travelling from east to west. He felt slightly out of place as Terminans, Gorons, Zoras and Dekus donned their various masks and all manner of costume. Some chose to dress in fancy gowns while others wore the twisted caricatures of monsters and deities.

Never before had he seen so much colour and life in a town. Fireworks studded the sky overhead and accompanied by the laughter and cheering of the crowds. Music wafted through the air as people danced in the streets and played the festival games. Few villagers even climbed the clock tower in its transformed state to offer prayers to the Giants. In that moment Link felt something peculiar as the remaining masks he had begun to glow in his pack. He quickly retreated through the door beneath the clock tower to avoid suspicion.

The moss covered ancient gears creaked to their own rhythm. Lost in the darkness they kept turning as Termina's pulse and livelihood. He had lost track of time but had never forgotten the eeriness of this place and his first encounter with Mask Salesman. The air was heavy with something, like there was magic present that he could never comprehend. Two wisps of light then left his pack and wafted before them. They became the spirits of Darmani and the Deku Butler's son wreathed in shadows. They offered a final smile and wave or bow to him as they vanished. Immediately Link checked his pack once more to find the Goron and Deku masks missing.

Strangely only the Zora mask remained when Link recalled Mikau's final request. The Zora did not wish for justice or revenge, he just wanted to play a final song with his band. Link then decided the don the mask one more time, shifting into the body of a Zora. He then left the clock tower once more and headed to the Milk Bar where the Indigo-Gos were setting up for their concert. The concert went ahead without a hitch, although Link was unsure if it was really him playing the guitar or if Mikau was using him as a puppet from beyond the grave.

After the concert, Link could feel his Zora form beginning to weaken. He quickly escaped backstage and tried to find a way out of the bar. "Mikau, that was great," Lulu remarked as she followed after him, she then stopped in her tracks as she informed "But you're not really Mikau, are you? We saw his grave on the way to town… we just played along because… well…" she wiped her tears on her silky fin "I guess we're still not ready to accept it."

Link saw no point in lying as he removed the mask from his face. At that moment the mask crumbled into nothing as it released Mikau's spirit. The tattooed Zora smiled at Link, bowing his head before turning to Lulu and blowing her a kiss. He then vanished into the ether as his soul finally came to rest. "I promised him I would play a final song with you all."

"I don't know who or what you are," Lulu knelt down to his level, she then threw her arms around him and held him close "But thankyou… thankyou for giving us one last chance to play alongside him, and for me to, well, to see the father of my children one last time."

It was well after midnight by the time Link had finished receiving gratitude from the rest of the Indigo-Gos. Evan, Tijo and Japas were insistent on buying him drinks from the bar. The argument that followed between them and bartender provided a perfect reason for Link to disappear into the streets again. It was confusing though, that people would even want to thank him, he was so used to remaining unnoticed. The final straw was when Zelda did not share the friendship they had cultivated over Ganondorf's reign. Then again with time reset that future had never happened and the Gerudo king had been chased off before any damage could follow.

The knowledge and memories of such a future were still lucid, much like the memories he had formed by travelling Termina. He doubted he would ever be able to carry such a burden alone and it was torture that he would never be fully recognised. Link did not care for the pageantry of being a hero, but at least he wanted those that mattered to him to actually remember as he did. So that it felt like he actually knew them and was not a distant stranger.

"Look up there!" exclaimed a voice

Another cheered "Yeah! Real witches!"

Link turned wildly to see the magic hags, Koume and Kotake fly overhead. They waved to the crowd, Koume fired a few colourful flames into the air while Kotake scattered snowflakes over the streets. He shivered, still adjusting to the idea those two hags could be good natured.

"All of this happened because you made it happen."

He found himself looking up at a blue skinned woman. Her elegant visage draped with silk etched with spider webs and various pieces of gold and black cloth to create a stunning gown. The arachnid mask upon her face was terrifyingly detailed and only revealed her lips.

She bowed to him "Thankyou for saving Termina."

Link was shocked to say the least as he tried to hide his dread "How do you even know?"

"I guess you could say you're the spitting image of an old friend of mine." She handed him a mask with a Cheshire smile "Here, you look foolish without one and it's on the house. Enjoy the carnival."

The familiar war painted face of the Fierce Deity was staring back at him. Before he could ask her anything else she had vanished into the crowds without a trace.


	20. The Carnival goes on

The carnival partied on into the night and was merely the herald for more celebrations to come over the next week. Nevertheless Clock Town was truly alive as festival goers threw themselves into the harlequin euphoria. Link remained near the clock tower with the mask still in his hands. He was not sure what to do with it and had lost all track of the mysterious woman in the crowd. However the lingering concern for Navi drove him to leave Termina before the carnival's end. He put a hand on the ancient door, nervous as to whether it was even possible to go back from whence he came.

A monstrous roar followed by cheers and laughter caught his attention. He turned to see the Bombers led by Jim, all dressed in costume armour like heroes of old. They were chasing and in turn being chased by two people dressed as dragons. The larger one, probably male, wore a terrifying mask with blood red eyes and a large gem set on its forehead. The shorter one was similar to a dragon warrior with reptilian features framed in metal. They pretended to fight and chase after the Bombers, the pantomime fight finally coming to a close as Jim vanquished the larger dragon. The dragon warrior cried out dramatically "The Dark Dragon has been vanquished by the mighty Lord Jim! All hope is lost!"

Her fellow performer sat up, sending Jim flying as he jested "I'm not dead yet, give me some credit."

She shrugged comically before the chase unravelled once more.

Link felt a smile appear on his face as the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. Termina was going to survive after all, with the Giants and Tatl, he had saved it. Knowing his job was done he pushed open the door to the clock tower and descended its ancient walkways. The large stone door that had shut behind him when he first came to this land was now open. The lingering laughter of the mask salesman hung in the air. Had it all been that merchant's doing? Was he the reason Link was spirited away to this land? If that was the case then what manner of creature was the mask salesman?

The answers to such mysteries remained concealed as Link walked through the warped forests of darkness. Lights and faces blurred past him as phantoms of the past three days. He felt his very being fade and vanish only to awaken in a field of the Lost Woods. It felt like he had been sleeping for a very long time. Epona was seated beside him, she sniffed his face and then licked it affectionately. After readying himself, he mounted his trusty steed and set off in search of Navi once more.

* * *

Time seemed to pass in a blur as the madness of the night progressed. Before Sable knew it, she was sitting above the slide in North Clock Town watching the sun rise. Her mask lifted off her face to better appreciate the view. As much as she loved her costume it was difficult to see at times. Leaning against a playground pillar was Onox tearing into a roasted Cucco like a stray animal. However by then Sable was too exhausted to be disturbed or even point out how loud his eating was. Now that she thought about it, they had not really spoken about the fight. Instead they just fell into their usual routine like nothing happened. Sable remained quiet as she worked out whether or not to even raise the subject now that they were alone. The momentary contemplation was shattered as a certain witch soared descended from the sky and knocked Sable from her perch.

Iris had practically crash tackled Sable out of affection. She had spent most of the night enjoying the carnival but also on the lookout for her friend. It was only when Iris finally bumped into Veran that she found out where she had gone. A columbina styled mask representing fire and ice with vivid shades of red and blue along with trailing plumage was strapped to her face. The colourful headdress was obviously another creation of Veran's extensive artistic vision. The Deku proudly informed "Like it? Veran calls it the Eyes of Twinrova."

"Yes, it looks very nice on you." Sable said as she picked herself up "Where have you been anyway?"

"Looking for you, if I knew you were under that dragon costume I would've talked to you sooner."

"Sorry, I didn't even see you in the crowds."

"That's alright, we still have the rest of the week to celebrate."

"Did you see the Indigo-Gos play? They were fantastic!"

"I know… sad to see it was Mikau's last concert."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you later. Something I saw on my way into town."

"So…" Iris glanced over at Onox who had paused from eating to simply watch them "Are you still angry at us?"

He slowly rose to his feet "No, I… I may not like or accept what you've told me. But to ruin a friendship based on a stupid disagreement, that's not right either." He elaborately bowed to them "Please forgive me."

Iris and Sable exchanged looks, given his imposing figure they never suspected Onox would ever need to ask for forgiveness from anyone. He always looked powerful enough to rip you limb from limb so it was more strategic to keep him happy. Onox received his answer as they both tackled him in a hug.

The next evening the regaling continued in full force as even more Terminans flocked to Clock Town. Veran was thankful for the extra help that year with her mask stall. The obvious thrill of near extinction had reinvigorated carnival goers. She even spotted quite a few new faces among the crowds that did not make the trek to the centre of Termina in prior years. It must be the gods' luck that she made a surplus of masks to sell.

"Fairy!" Romani cheered as she ran over to the stall. The little girl slipped through the crowds with the agility of a ninja.

Veran stopped counting her rupees and gave a welcoming smile "Little Romani, good to see you again, but where is your sister? Does she know you've run off?"

She poked her tongue out "Maybe, maybe not."

"Well, why not stay with us until she catches up? You can play shopkeeper with Sable, Iris and Onox."

"Jester, Witchy and Dragon are here too!" Romani clapped her hands "That's great, I want to ask them all about their adventures. You know Witchy learnt how to fly!"

"So I've heard."

Romani disappeared around to the front of the caravan where the temporary stall had been opened up. Veran turned back to her book keeping when yet another familiar face appeared. Cremia was catching her breath as she adjusted her fringe, she breathlessly said "Have you seen my sister?"

"She's helping out with the stall."

Cremia followed Veran's pointed finger to see she was speaking the truth. Romani was in the midst of winning over the crowds alongside Iris. The two adorable girls were encouraging bystanders to put aside their judgement and buy Veran's quality masks.

"Why don't you take a break? We can watch over Romani for now."

"Thanks Veran. Oh, and do you need a place to stay after the carnival? You're welcome to stay at the ranch."

"That sounds delightful, if you don't mind the company."

"I wouldn't make the offer if I didn't want to."

"Very well, yes, we will come after the carnival."

Cremia bowed her head and went back into the crowd to enjoy a little peace and quiet herself. It's not that she found Romani to be a burden, but there were times when it was hard to take care of her much younger sister.

Sable passed Veran in search of a particular mask design requested by a customer. The blue skinned woman queried randomly "So, did you find what you were looking for in the Great Bay?"

She froze on the spot "How did you know that?"

"I know lots of things, you should know that by now."

"Well… no, not exactly."

"Be patient, that particular beast is a tricky one to catch."

"Right, thanks for the advice."

"So what are you doing after the carnival?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Why not stick around with Onox and I? At least for a few months while you sort your life out."

"I'd like that."

"Excellent, after the carnival we're heading back to the ranch for a break."

"Does this mean I've been unwillingly made a slave? …again?"

"Don't be so dramatic." Veran laughed "But yes, you will be expected to help out when you can."

"Fine." Sable laughed under her breath, how could she expect anything less of Veran? The woman seemed to be a master of manipulation.

* * *

Outside of Clock Town and away from music and revelry, Skull Kid watched the fireworks from the distance. He stood atop his favourite stump that offered a pristine view of the tower from the southern fields. Usually he loved the Carnival of Time, it was the only time of the year he would even consider going into town. For some reason, no one ever seemed to make him feel welcome in Termina. The possession by Majora's Mask only made this more obvious. Concern and fear of what may happen if he dared approach Clock Town overwhelmed him. Everyone knew he was the one responsible for calling the moon down.

They would never even give him a chance to explain what happened. How the madness of a primordial deity corrupted his mind and drove him insane. How the mask permeated every fibre of his being with its darkness. No. They would not even want to hear it. All they knew was that everything went horrible in Termina when Skull Kid appeared with a rainbow mask. They had no reason to hear him out when it was so obvious.

Tatl and Tael remained overhead, floating around as they always did. At least they remained by his side, but now, doubt was making him question them. He did not know why they still associated with him. Link and the Giants may still be his friends, however he was also acutely aware that he had effectively ostracised himself from the rest of Termina.

As he brooded below them, Tael suggested out loud "Come on Skull Kid! Let's go play some carnival games! That always cheers you up."

"Games? Why can't we go dancing like adults?" Tatl taunted "You are still so immature."

"That's alright, you two enjoy the carnival."

Tatl was shocked "What? Seriously, are you sick Skull Kid?"

Tael floated before his face "But you love the Carnival of Time!"

"What's wrong? Link saved Termina, there's no reason to be sad anymore."

"I… I just…" Skull Kid choked back the tears "I just need to be alone for a while, that's all. I need to think about everything carefully."

Tael interjected "But Skull Kid, we're still your friends and we care about you."

"I know, but… I need some time alone." Skull Kid abruptly jumped down and disappeared into the fields.

Tael felt saddened, his wings lowering "Sis? Should we follow him?"

"As much I want to," Tatl sighed sadly "I don't think it's such a good idea, we have no idea of what he went through when that mask was on him."

"But doesn't that mean we should spend more time with him? Make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"I don't think he wants our help, Tael."


	21. Dragon Souls

Time had lost meaning as each day blurred into night and then repeated over and over again. Skull Kid staggered about the fields, amazed at how many caravans, travellers and carts passed him by. Not one person even noticed him or even glanced in his direction. It seemed that Termina had chosen to ignore him and rightly so. After all, his desperate need for friendship to end his loneliness had almost destroyed Termina. His entire soul had become numb as his mind struggled to process such a fact.

He also did not understand why Link felt so familiar to him. For years Skull Kid had lived peacefully, travelling between Termina and the Lost Woods with ease. Even upon their first encounter, where Link gifted him with a skeleton mask, the blue eyed Hylian felt like an old friend. Skull Kid felt tears roll down his face. He had cast that mask aside so quickly when the mask salesman came to the forest. The allure of such beautiful masks was too much. Even now he felt like less of a person with his bare face on display.

For the first time in what felt like ages, he felt something. Razor sharp talons tore through him as he was sent sprawling to the ground. As he weakly clambered to his knees he saw a monstrous bird turn sharply overhead. It circled back around and dove in once more, its claws poised to rip into his frail body. Skull Kid screamed as the scavenger's claws latched onto his chest.

On that same day, at that same time and in that same general area, Sable was marching through the fields. Her nightly hunt had gotten a little out of hand the previous evening as her monstrous senses had sent her halfway across Termina. Now she was simply marching back to the southern fields to intercept Veran's caravan as they migrated to the north. Her mind was momentarily alerted by the sound of a scream. Looking up she saw a bird rise in the distance with a figure tangled in its claws.

She whistled to herself "That is one big bird. What has it got? A child?"

Hesitantly she shrugged to herself and kept walking, the nagging thought lingered _'It's not like I can do anything for him. I don't have wings__.__'_

A shiver twitched her spine as the soul chilling scream of agony echoed from above. Sable looked up at the bird as it flew away. She kept her eyes on it _'Oh for the love of the Giants, how the hell am I supposed to help him!?'_

"You don't even know him." replied a woman's voice in her head that resonated with wise nobility.

'_Who are you? How did you get in my head?'_

"I've been reading your thoughts for quite some time, ever since you placed that Fused Shadow around your neck and Midna gave you the lecture."

'_Then… you're Argorok, aren't you?'_

"Yes and I've watched you through your mind. I must say you're a peculiar child indeed."

'_Please, please help me! That bird is getting away__.__'_

"So what? Probably just some stupid kid."

'_I don't care! Give me wings so I can fly! I can't just stand back and go on with my life knowing I could've done something about that person's fate!'_

"Very well, child. I'll let my lineage live on through you."

The shadow coated her body lined with blue light, indicating that something was different this time. The transformation did not tire her initially as her mind slipped effortlessly into her new skin. Argorok's body felt eerily familiar, her wings stretched out as Sable moved her arms. Her black scales were studded with ornate metal fused with the skin like organic armour. A final swish of the tail demolished a nearby log, her mighty wings flapped, propelling her high into the sky.

Effortlessly, with the dragon's wingspan, Sable had easily caught up with the scavenger. The bird squawked at the sight of her approach. The dragon's maw stretched wide to reveal rows of pearly fangs that then clamped around the bird's neck.

Skull Kid froze completely at the sight of the menacing dragon. He could not recall the last time he had seen one in Termina. Where exactly this creature came from also proved a mystery. His body then dropped from the bird's claws as he plummeted towards the earth, or so he thought. With a swift movement of the dragon's tail, he was swatted upwards towards its feet. Strangely it did not clamp hard and almost cradled him. He remained overwhelmed by terror as he was carried off into the distance.

* * *

Something had changed in the air as a familiar ether manifested, a crackle of electricity shot through Veran. Her heart sank when the realisation dawned. Turning to the skies she saw an all too familiar dragon soar overhead and circle around. Iris and Onox were more preoccupied with tending to the horses as the caravan had taken a break from its route. Neither could ignore the cry of a dragon as they simultaneously looked up.

"No way!" Iris screeched out loud "Where did that thing come from?"

Onox was stunned, jaw hanging open "A real life dragon… I never thought I'd live to see one."

"I know, I thought the Gorons wiped them out eons ago."

"Do you think I can harvest its soul?"

"You will do no such thing," Veran literally materialised beside them with a shadow warp from her resting place atop the caravan. Her expression was one of dread as she grabbed Onox by the shoulder "Are you feeling any different now?"

"Uh… no… well, maybe a little warm but that's nothing to be worried about." He nervously replied, freezing up before Veran's intense gaze "Is there something I should be worried about?"

Iris pulled away from them as she excitedly ran ahead. The dragon finally came to a halt with a mighty flap of its wings, sending the Deku tumbling from the powerful gust. It landed safely only to be engulfed by darkness and shift to Sable's visage. An unconscious Skull Kid was at her feet and barely conscious.

"Do that again! It was fun!" Iris cheered after picking herself up, she then saw Skull Kid and looked between him and Sable.

She quickly informed "He was being carried off by a Takkuri so I intervened… by turning into a dragon. I know, it's insane, but that's basically what happened."

Iris was by his side and checking his breathing and heart rate "He's not looking too good, we need to get him to Mistress Kotake right away." She chirped happily "So, can you turn into a dragon again so we can all go together?"

"Let me get my breath back first, that was intense."

"We got bigger problems than a hurt kid!" Veran yelled from afar, she had cast a force field around Onox. A circle of darkness surrounded him while orange tendrils of energy bound his limbs. "Sable! I can't hold on for long, so when I release him, turn into Argorok again and lead him to the Stone Towers. I'll do the rest. Iris, get to Twinrova and tell her the Dark Dragon has awoken."

With each passing moment Onox was breaking free of the force field. His eyes reflected an insatiable bloodlust as his body moved in a violent frenzy. His body was already becoming covered in black scales as a pair of massive horns grew from his forehead. A blood red gem parted the skin on his forehead and large tusks emerged from his mouth framed by sharpened teeth. With a final strike he shattered the force field like glass, sending Veran to the ground. Her magic instinctively went to work as her body twisted with dark magic and fragmented into the air as a vapour.

Iris immediately snatched Skull Kid by his tunic and mounted her broom with some difficulty. The need to survive took priority as she sped off into the distance. Before Onox could divert his attention he saw the dragon emerge once more from where Sable stood. It roared back to him as a challenge and took to the skies. Dark energy coursed through his veins as the grass withered around him and the nearby horses fled. Shadows enveloped him as he too, took on a new form.

* * *

Another peaceful day at the potion shop left Kotake feeling a little bored. The two fairies she had captured were becoming mentally broken in their glass bottle prisons. They now only sat on the glass without so much as a complaint or a sneeze. She pondered whether or not to let them go seeing as they lost their entertainment factor. A crash at the door jolted her into awareness as she caught the bottles in question before they could hit the floor. This was followed by the door bursting open and Iris running in. A Skull Kid was barely moving with the aid of her apprentice.

Iris immediately blurted out "I'm sorry for crashing into the house but something bad has happened. You see, um… Sable finally learnt to turn into a dragon and brought this kid to us because he was hurt. Then Onox went crazy and Veran went weird and then she said to tell you something about the Dark Dragon awakening and-"

Kotake calmly raised a hand to say "Breathe child. Let's handle one problem at a time." Then placed the bottles that held the fairies onto a nearby table.

"Alright, so what first?"

"The Dark Dragon takes priority, I need you to act as my conduit in Ikana. You will not be going into the Stone Towers. It's far too dangerous for a mortal who is not of the Gomess." Kotake helped Iris lay Skull Kid on a nearby couch "Instead I need you to go to the castle, you can't miss it. You must insist that you be brought to their king, then simply allow me to take control of your mind and I'll handle the rest."

"What is a Dark Dragon anyway?"

"The remnants of the dragon patriarch that ascended to immortality long ago. His hatred was so great that his ghost lingers on as a wild deity."

Iris nodded to herself as she recalled more details "And Argorok? Apparently that's what Sable can turn into now."

"Probably a dragon matriarch and I'm guessing she was once a concubine of the dragon patriarch. But she betrayed him when she allowed a Gomess Arch Mage to bind her soul to a Fused Shadow."

"But how does this have anything to do with Sable and Onox!?"

Kotake bluntly ordered "Child, go to Ikana Castle now."

Iris pointed to Skull Kid "And what about him?"

"I'll take care of him, now go!"

Reluctantly Iris left the unconscious stranger in Kotake's care. She quickly mounted her broom and headed to the east as fast as she could travel.

For the first time in days, Tatl immediately sprang up within her bottle. Of all the places to be reunited, she never would've guessed Skull Kid would wind up here. She and Tael had been searching for him in the Woods of Mystery at the time when the witch pounced on them. Although she still could not understand why they were merely captured and held prisoner.

"Sis! Skull Kid is here!" Tael exclaimed as he awoke "Hey Miss witch-lady! Please save our friend!"

Tatl threatened "If you do anything wrong by him, you'll regret it!"

"A friend of yours? How unusual… I have no intention of harming him, in fact, I wish to help him heal himself." Kotake mused out loud, she smirked back to them "Now why are two little fairies friends with a broken deity?"

The two fairies fell silent as they shyly descended to the bottom of the bottles once more. The old witch cackled to herself as she went over to her cauldron and rolled up the sleeves of her robes. Various ingredients levitated over to her hands as she began brewing the strongest potion she could concoct.


	22. Ikana's Resurrection

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he could feel the wind on his face and the earth beneath his body. Wearily, Lanayru climbed to his feet, shedding the blue hood that remained of his priestly helm. He brushed his cyan locks away from his face as he breathed the fresh air. His weakened body wore a white tattered gown with a thick belt around his waist. The crest of the Golden Goddesses, the Triforce, was embossed on the belt. Even when the Ikana were cursed into monsters, he did not fall to despair, his belief in the goddesses did not waver. This could not be said for the rest of his kingdom. Most had been killed by happy go lucky adventurers and some wanted to pass on into the release of death.

As the high priest of the kingdom and envoy of Nayru, he would not let himself be consumed by fear. Instead he found himself at the edge of the valley, waiting for the one who bore the Garo's mask and the Lens of Truth. Only then would they have any chance of even traversing the valley. Such a hero did come their way in the days leading to the moon fall and Lanayru knew that boy alone was responsible for saving Termina. The name of this hero eluded his memory as he struggled to piece together his memories.

The plants nervously emerged from the soil as he walked back to the city of Ikana. The Stone Towers loomed in the distance, a mockery to his beliefs and a grim remnant of the Gomess tribe. Using his magic, he levitated to the top of the cliff to look upon the city or at least remained of it. The few survivors looked equally bewildered. Most were coming to terms with their restored human bodies while others marvelled at the strange house in the shape of a music box. A Terminan man and his daughter were busy talking with the survivors as they rushed inside to retrieve bandages, medicines, anything they could spare.

A knight in old Ikanan armour waved Lanayru over to the open gates of the castle. The long road to restoring the kingdom to its former glory was stretching further into the horizon. Lanayru surveyed the damage, already making up his mind that the castle would be more than adequate in housing most of the survivors. His mind wandered if any of the other leaders of Ikana had survived. Although he was indeed wise, he felt like one piece of a much larger chain that was weak unless inked with others.

He bowed to the few servants and peasants who were busy with cleaning and the initial repairs to the castle. The spacious chambers held memories of war, conflict and despair. Perhaps now the Gomess were gone and the curse was broken, Ikana could be reborn. Lanayru could now see that this had all been a trial of the goddesses to prove them worthy of wielding the power of light. He saw his fellow advisors in the empty throne room. Both looked over the throne with their heads bowed out of respect.

Eldin, once a mighty general, now appeared dishevelled in his iron knuckle armour. His blazing red hair was slicked back with sweat as he breathlessly turned to Lanayru. His weary face was scarred and the fire in his eyes had dimmed. In Ikana's glory days he was the War Master, a master battle tactician and the envoy of Din. He solemnly informed "The King is dead."

"As is the Queen, Flat and Sharp, General Keeta… we're still counting the casualties." Faron grimly added, his fine face could not hide his sorrow. The tattered cloak of the Huntmaster looked as if it would shatter into dust at any moment. His eyes were torn to shreds in their final battle and robbed him of all feeling of self-worth. Bony hands clutched the broken remains of his bow. He doubted he could be the envoy of Farore again, not in this state.

Lanayru bowed his head "May they all rest in peace, we can perform the funeral rites later."

"It is good to see you still live." Eldin nodded "At least the three of us can help rebuild Ikana."

Faron swayed a little "I've never heard it so silent before, is the war really over?"

"It appears so, but I fear it has been many eons since Ikana's fall." Lanayru wisely informed "Termina has changed, so we will never be able to truly restore Ikana."

"But we will make it a home for our people. I know we will."

Eldin reminded "What if the Gomess attempt a sneak attack? We still have no idea where their armies are."

Their plotting was interrupted by the sounds of dragons roaring from the open windows. Faron fell to his knees, fully aware he was useless to them in combat. At least his keen senses did not betray him as he instructed "They're approaching, two of them, one a patriarch the other a matriarch. They're heading to the Stone Towers... I can feel it."

Eldin clapped Lanayru on the back as he retrieved an old axe and headed for the exit. As Faron remained in the throne room he felt another presence behind him. He growled "Have you no respect? Get out of the king's throne!"

A devious voice answered "Not until you grant me an audience with your leaders."

* * *

Sable dared not look back, she made that mistake only moments earlier. A curious thought pulled her gaze around just to see what exactly a Dark Dragon was. The monstrous reptile had onyx scales and eyes like pools of blood. A monstrous pair of horns crowned its fierce demonic face. Its mouth made threatening by the sight of sharp upturned tusks. The dragon was at least twice the size of Argorok but more muscular and fortunately slower than the agile matriarch. The Dark Dragon's long body writhed behind it with a thrashing tail. The entire creature emanated an aura of pure darkness from the Twilight Realm.

It was beyond her as to what had happened to Onox to turn him into such a monster. The only thing she could be sure of at that moment was that his salvation and the only for him to break from his rage was to be found in the Stone Towers. Sable always envisioned travelling to the hallowed yet unsettling ruins, but never under these circumstances. The eastern valley passed under her as a blur as the towers drew closer. She crossed the might river that ran along the tall cliffs at the end of the canyon. Flying upwards she heard the Dark Dragon crash into the rocky surface with a scream.

This gave her precious little time to find the point of entry. A shadow flickered at the bottom of the towers, a hand of orange light and shadows beckoned her to come. Sable immediately dove from the sky and flew through the large doorway of the towers. Her wings tucked in as she swooped in one flawless movement. A weight then pressed on her shoulders as Veran commanded "Head upwards, the temple is ready."

Veran steered Sable towards the highest point of the Stone Towers where the temple rested. However she knew they needed to go beyond this dimension to reach their destination. She noticed the darkening sky as the clouds parted overhead. An enraged Dark Dragon descended with maw glowing aflame. With a steady hand, Veran called forth an orb of light in her hand and shot it at the bloodied crest outside the temple. Sable felt the world twist and double over as they all tumbled down into the sky.

When they hit the ground once more, Sable reverted to her human body. With Veran's help she was pulled to her feet and kept running. The entire time she found her innards as they attempted to expel bile from her, the wild flying had induced a powerful vertigo. Thankfully Veran was there to keep her upright and moving through the inversed temple. The Dark Dragon crash landed outside but did not slow as it transformed back into Onox. His eyes were still mad with anger as he pursued them relentlessly. The ruins of the Gomess city sprawled past Sable's eyes, part of her screaming inside that she could not take the time to admire and catalogue all the murals and relics. Perhaps what was more curious was how Veran knew exactly where she was going as she dragged Sable down the various corridors.

* * *

Eldin could not restrain himself, his knuckles turning white as he snarled "Arch Mage Midna still lives!? How is that even possible?"

The familiar sight of the armoured dragon, Argorok, was not lost from his memory. He could not forget the beast that inflicted the gravest of his injuries and the most impressive of his scars. They stood near the stream that rippled from the cave to the north, dumbstruck as to what they could do in the situation. Before Eldin could blindly charge ahead to the towers he felt a tug on his tabard.

Lanayru pleaded "There's something in the castle… something of immense magic. We have to get back... How would you even climb the towers? We've lost the Elegy of Emptiness."

Eldin reluctantly nodded back as he followed after the high priest. He gestured to nearby soldiers who were able bodied to march with them. By the time they arrived back in the throne room, numerous servants had already fled. All that remained was Faron kneeling before a Deku nut girl dressed in dark robes. Her eyes blazed with the glow of flames and the shine of winter. Her aura was divided between raging fire and freezing blizzards making it near impossible to approach her. To add further insult she had the audacity to even sit upon King Igos' throne.

Eldin gritted his teeth "A heretic little Deku, how did she get in?"

She merely laughed like a wizened hag "If anything you Ikana are the minority now, Termina has always been a land for the wild and primal deities. We care not for your Golden Goddesses or their stuck up ideas embedded in the ways of light, best you remember that."

Lanayru put a hand on Eldin's shoulder and gave him a calming look. He then calmly approached the Deku, feeling the intensity of magic grow with each step "May I ask who we are speaking with? I doubt you're just a mere Deku."

"You first."

"I was the High Priest of Ikana, now I guess you can call me Lanayru." He looked back to his fellow former councilmen "This is also Faron and Eldin, I suppose we're the closest thing Ikana has to a leader… now that the king and queen are-"

"I know what transpired here, my name is Twinrova and this Deku is my apprentice and conduit, Iris."

Faron was shocked "A wild deity!? Here in Ikana!?"

"You make it sound like I'm the first which is ridiculous, the Great Fairies manifested in this kingdom long before I did. Also if you really want to get technical I'm actually a higher arcane deity, not a lesser wild deity."

"So…" Eldin had finally dared to approach her "What does a deity want with us?"

"To explain the circumstances of your awakening and to drill through your heads that your stupid feud with the Gomess is over. They've made a clean start so now it's time for you do so as well."

"How can you say that when I just saw Argorok and the Dark Dragon fly past?"

Iris waved her hand dismissively "I understand your concern, but they are unique cases due to their bloodlines and ties to the Gomess. Controlling them is out of your power because they are kept under control by me and the Great Fairy of the Twilight Realm."

Lanayru shot Eldin a silencing glare before he could interject, he prompted "The Great Fairy has reincarnated once more?"

"Yes, but that is beside the point, lots of things have changed that would make you turn in your figurative graves. However it would please you to know that the Giants and the Oni combined their powers to destroy Majora's Mask once and for all." Iris stepped down from the throne and approached them "I come here in the name of peace, the war is over and the remaining Gomess who can wield their magic mean you no harm. So you are not to declare war on them or attack them blindly. Termina is in an era of peace so just enjoy it."

Eldin glared at her, menacingly suggesting "And if we disobey your commands?"

"Then I will eradicate you," Iris stood before him with a cute look in her eyes "And I will enjoy it." She clapped her hands and laughed "So, shall we draw up a treaty?"


	23. The Dark Dragon

The air grew heavy, like they were descending into an abyss and the gravity of the earth was slowly crushing her. Filaments and tatters of shadows wafted from the ground only to evaporate once they made contact with the ceiling. Her vision became tainted by the familiar warm orange tones of fleeting light. Being close to Veran negated the magnitude of pressure that threatened to destroy her body. Sable persevered with all her might to keep moving, but by now her body wanted nothing more than to fall and not rise. Amazingly Veran appeared immune to the strange ether cloaking the temple as they made their way over a stone bridge. Beneath them was possibly meant to be a ceiling with large holes cut to allow light in. The view it now offered was incomprehensible. A mad web of shadows and bleeding light that wavered erratically like an ocean.

Finally bursting through a final door, Sable realised they had reached a dead end. The chamber held four statues of the Giants systematically posed around a fifth giant in the centre of the rune circle on the ground. The fifth giant was neither man nor woman, nevertheless it appeared as a fearsome warrior wielding a blade that appeared curved to a double helix. Elaborate red and blue war paint adorned its stoic face. Black rope dangling with paper charms were looped around the statues like a spider's web. However there was a deviation to the motif, a mass of cut ropes dangled between two of the Giants.

Veran remained by the door, the demonic howls of Onox echoed in the chamber nearby. Sable on the other hand stumbled over to the statue of the fifth giant. Her mind too tired to entertain caution of what this chamber had been in the temple's glory days. She said as a whisper "The fierce deity, one of the primal gods, the Oni… the Gomess worshipped the Oni as well?"

"They worshipped the Man Eater too," Veran turned to her calmly "In fact, the Gomess were responsible for bringing the Man Eater's mask to Termina and also why Ikana was wiped out overnight. The end result of that night was the addition of Majora's soul to the Man Eater's trap."

Sable remained silent as Veran continued with the tale of caution. She moved elegantly amidst the statues. Her hands ran over the smooth stone like she was recalling vivid memories.

"The Man Eater has always been a deity that feeds on sins of others, often driving mortals to the brink of insanity in order to grant their wishes... although I've never heard of a wish turning out the way the mortal intended. As it devours more souls its power grows, so it uses its tricks to lure in the most powerful warriors and mages to ever live." Veran conjured the vision of an armoured beast out of the wispy darkness in the air "It grew tired of glutting on the greed of mortals and wished to die and reincarnate into something greater. So the Oni came forth in the guise of a mortal traveller and moved time for the Man Eater once more through the power of music. The Man Eater danced wildly for three days before it finally died."

The tale felt eerily familiar to Sable, her mind enthralled by Veran's words that she did not even notice that Onox was closing in on them.

"When the Man Eater died, it left behind its armour so the Oni did something cruel to stop it from reincarnating properly. It carved a mask from its armour, trapping the Man Eater's soul into that useless form… the Oni then left the mask in the deepest reaches of the Twilight Realm. Until the Golden Goddesses cursed the Stone Towers and mistakenly turned the Gomess place of worship into a portal to the Twilight Realm… it was the Gomess who found the Man Eater's mask and allowed many wild deities to make their home in Termina."

Veran gestured to the statue of the Oni with a smirk "In fact, it used to reside right there on that statue. But it wasn't until Majora, a chosen of the Eastern Giant and a member of the Gomess, donned the mask that it received its true name. Out of fear she cast herself and the accursed mask back into the Twilight Realm where the Oni had left it and sealed the Stone Towers."

"Until the incident with the moon falling happened, right?" Sable had conjured numerous theories around why the Giants intervened and also why Termina had fallen into chaos. "Someone found Majora's Mask, didn't they?"

Veran nodded solemnly "It had to be done, the Man Eater was trapped within it and because of that, the Oni was growing weaker with every passing eon. So I'm guessing the Man Eater put its own plan into action to draw the Oni out and destroy that mask once and for all. You see, they are two sides of the same deity, so you cannot worship one without the other."

"Does that mean Majora… I mean, the Man Eater will return?"

Veran shrugged with a confident laugh "Who knows what a primal deity will do next? However I doubt it will attack Termina so openly next time."

"Veran, why do you even know all this? And how could you keep it from me for so long?"

"I had to wait for you to mature and awaken Argorok's soul, otherwise I doubt you would believe any of this." Veran saw Onox approaching them from over the stone bridge "Now it is time to make our descent and knock some sense into a pair of stubborn old dragons."

The world around Sable became engulfed in darkness as it fragmented and washed downwards in a spiral. Powerless against the tide of reality, Sable fell through the twisting ether with Veran by her side and Onox falling nearby.

* * *

Veran breathed out as she stretched her wings, her body enjoying the welcoming glow of twilight. All around was flat darkness stretching out into the horizon. The pure smoothness ruptured by rising monoliths of polished black stone. Most glowed with red and blue patterns of light. The sky was in the eternal embrace of time between day and night. Fragments of shadow wafted from the ground to disappear into the air. For all the millennia she had been gone, the Twilight Realm had not changed in the slightest.

In this realm she could shed her human skin and unveil her fairy form. A drawn out human figure adorned by six filamentous wings and four long arms. Her skin was varying shades of blue while her hair was the colour of fire. Shadows were stretched over her body to form robes that both hugged and flowed from her form. Veran looked down upon the mortals she had brought here, it always intrigued her to see what became of them. Some became floating flames of light, reverting to their soul form, while the more gifted took the form of beasts that could hold a real shape.

She floated over the forms of Argorok and the Dark Dragon as the two massive reptiles struggled to their feet. Both let out various screeches as they struggled to find their voices. Veran simply waved a hand and said "Welcome to the Twilight Realm, Onox and Sable. Don't be too afraid, no mortal can take their true form here. Fortunately you can borrow the bodies of beasts."

The two dragons quietened down, their attention diverted to the celestial replicas of their current forms. They were in a vicious aerial fight overhead as they wildly pursued each other.

"Those two are from a long lost era, where all the races of Termina wielded magic." Veran swooned from nostalgia "That was glorious, although it went a bit pear shaped when the Terminans divided into the Ikana and then they divided again into the Gomess. Then we all know what happened then." She casually wafted over them, reclining in the air "Still you can see remnants of this age in Termina, from the Gorons who can bend the earth to their will and spring spikes from their body to the Zoras who can channel their repressed bioluminescence into an electrical shield."

Sable and Onox simultaneously roared at Veran, a fine way of reminding her of their presence.

"Right, now what to do about you two." Veran laughed wickedly "You two are in quite a lot of trouble now these dragons have woken up. But you're probably wondering why they're there to begin with?"

The two celestial dragons crashed into the earth, the Dark Dragon's jaw was clamped around Argorok's body while Argorok had pierced her talons and pointed tail into the Dark Dragon's neck.

"Out of fear of succumbing to the Goron Geomancers, Argorok made a bargain with an Arch Mage of the Gomess, Midna. She bound the dragon's soul to her Fused Shadow so that Argorok could always watch over Termina. This did not please Horonox, the dragon king who demanded that she keep fighting." Veran pointed to the battling dragons "As you can see, he's still not over it. His hatred was so great he became a deity in death and a very powerful and malevolent one at that. Realising the danger of what he was, the Gomess intervened again and bound his soul to the bloodline of the strongest warrior in their ranks. The logic was that only a strong warrior could keep that beast in control."

Onox hesitated momentarily, keeping a safe distance from the battle to observe the movements of the Dark Dragon. Veran teleported before him in the blink of an eye "The question is, can you tame such a creature? Do you hold the mental fortitude to keep control of yourself at all times?"

Sable stood next to him, nudging his wing with her snout as a sign that she was prepared to help him in any way she could. Veran then rudely snapped "Not you, I just needed you here to lure Onox to the portal." She grabbed Sable by the wing and effortlessly dragged her away from him "This is his battle, not yours. So I'm sending you back to the temple."

Sable madly buried her talons into the ground but struggled to keep a grip. Her entire form was enveloped in darkness before fragmenting and shooting upwards into the sky. The celestial form of Argorok vanished, this led the Dark Dragon to change its target. It focused its gaze upon Onox in the dragon's corporeal form.

Veran remained nearby as she coldly informed "I will kill you if you cannot reunite the body and soul of this creature."

There was no doubt in his mind that Veran was actually some kind of Great Fairy. Yet she unlike any kind of fairy he had ever heard of. Tales always portrayed them as gentle, beautiful creatures that helped wayward travellers. Veran was closer to a demonic entity that was setting him up for a gruesome death with a smile on her face. He had every desire to strike her now and he would have if the soul of the Dark Dragon hadn't charged towards him.

Out of panic, Onox raised his powerful talons in the hope to catch the Dark Dragon by his horns. The dragon soul passed right through his body only to collide with Onox's chest as it viciously rammed its head. The Dark Dragon followed through with a beserking frenzy as it wildly tackled and viciously clawed at its opponent. Onox broke free of its grasp to ascend as fast as his wings could carry him. The celestial monster remained on the ground and circled. There was no sign of injury on its form despite Onox's best efforts to counter the attacks. The Dark Dragon was toying with him, waiting for Onox to strike first so that it could counter.

Feeling a tight and sharp pain in his chest, Onox figured that charge left him with at least a few broken ribs. The pain surging through his body and the exhaustion from keeping him hovering suggested there may be internal bleeding and organ damage as well. There was no telling what the Dark Dragon could do to him if he was caught or failed to evade a second time. Yet how was he to fight a creature that had no true physical form. Perhaps if he could revert to a different beast he may have a better chance, but his ability to shift forms had been nullified by the twilight.

An observation came to mind, by then the Dark Dragon had grown impatient with its pathetic opponent and flew after him. Onox realised that something had to have struck him in order to injure him. Careful watching of the dragon's face, he realised there was an abnormality glaring at him like a target. Onox charged mustered the remained shreds of strength in his wounded body. He dived towards the Dark Dragon, ignoring how the creature's form was a wavering nightmare. He disregarded the feel of its talons passing through flesh and bone to slice his soul. Instead, Onox lowered his head and rammed his newly grown horns into the gleaming gem on his opponent's forehead. Fortunately he had struck it with enough force to shatter it.

The Dark Dragon let out a scream as its body evaporated into swirling mist. Onox felt woozy by then as he finally gained control of himself.

Veran clapped slowly with a Cheshire smile "Congratulations, I don't have to kill you now. But this is merely the first battle you'll face with this creature, so you should keep reinforcing your fortitude."

Onox remained silent as she warped both of them out of Twilight Realm. Their bodies fragmented into pieces of shadows that soared upwards to Termina.

* * *

Sable did her best to examine the chamber with a finely focused sight. There had to be something about the statues and the paper charms that opened the way back to Twilight Realm. Her actions were frantic by now as she desperately needed to get back so she could help Onox. Already a day had passed since Veran tossed her back into the Stone Towers. She had not slept or rested as she had ran through the temple in search of anything that could help her.

A strange howling sound came from the sound of the chamber behind her. Sable went to the stone bridge to see pieces of shadow solidify as an elaborate puzzle. It melted from the formed creatures to reveal Veran and Onox alive and back in their Terminan bodies. Onox fell to his knees as he struggled to remain conscious. Veran remained standing with hands on her hips and looking a little too pleased with herself.

Sable dared not question Veran now, after all, it had been made very clear that she was actually the Great Fairy of the Twilight Realm. She felt like an utter fool for not having realised it before. It definitely explained Veran's natural gift with shadow magic and how she seemed to know everything. Despite this discovery, Sable felt her feelings of betrayal lessen as Veran stretched her hand out to her with a gentle smile. She beckoned her to come closer and Sable obeyed. Now they were reunited as a trio, Veran warped them from the Stone Towers.

Although, Sable knew this was not last she had seen of this temple. Perhaps in the future she would be able to explore it at her leisure.

When they arrived at the Southern Swamp, Koume and Kotake asked no questions of what had transpired. The two old hags were simply waiting for them at the glade near the Woods of Mystery. They had prepared potions, a hearty meal and a welcoming bonfire, just as they always did. The caravan was parked nearby and already set up to Veran's liking. Iris appeared more perplexed but ultimately kept quiet, the result of a stern lecture from her master prior to their arrival. They remained silent the entire time as they tended to their wounds and fatigue. Veran finally retired to her caravan while Onox and Sable returned to the tourist hut with Koume.


	24. A second chance

Iris remained at the counter, even though it currently the slowest part of the year for potion sales. Not many adventurers went out in the months following the carnival. Then again most were either too broke to entertain such travels or still severely hung over after the celebration. Frustratingly her friends were also still unconscious, Koume and Kotake assured her that they would awaken eventually. The waiting was still frustrating and the fairies Kotake had found did not make good company as they insisted on remaining by Skull Kid's side. Iris shifted a glance towards him, almost cursing his appearance. Maybe if Sable hadn't found him to begin with, none of this would have happened. She quickly perished the thought as Iris remembered the result of the situation.

The familiar sound of ringing roused Skull Kid from his slumber. When he opened his eyes he was greeted by the sight of Tatl and Tael hovering over him. Although he could not recognise where he was, the chaotic clutter of a potion laboratory surrounded him. He was lying in a makeshift bunk at the edge of the room and near a shop counter. Sitting at the counter was a Deku girl dressed in black robes, she was casually flicking through an old tome and did not turn as the fairies cheered.

Tael flew in close to his face "Skull Kid, we were so worried about you."

"We thought you were a goner," Tatl added "But then this witch fixed you."

"A witch?" Skull Kid looked over to the Deku, forcing his body to sit up in bed "Did you save me?"

The tome slammed shut "Not really, I just brought you here after my friend found you, then my master healed you. You've been asleep for the past week."

"Friend? You mean…" Skull Kid felt the dread tighten his chest "That dragon is your friend!?"

"We've actually met before, when you were possessed by the mask. Sable and I were there when you shattered the Great Fairy of the Great Bay."

"Oh… then I attacked you… Sorry about that, I really truly am."

The Deku went to his side and offered her hand "I'm Iris by the way, the apprentice of Mistress Kotake, and you are?"

"Skull Kid… um… How did Tatl and Tael get here?" He felt a light headed and lay down once more to stop the room from spinning.

"My mistress found them in the swamp."

"Where did you go Skull Kid?" Tael sat on his pillow "We looked everywhere for you."

Tatl snapped "You worried us sick, you jerk!"

"Would you calm down a little Tatl? You really need to control your anger." Iris remarked as she passed Skull Kid a bottle of blue potion. He cautiously sipped from the bottle as they kept arguing.

Tatl went up in Iris' face "Me!? Have anger problems! HA!"

She stood her ground and told the fairy off "You did go ballistic when you first woke up. Broke the bottle and everything."

"Who puts fairies in bottles!? That's just sick!"

"Well you didn't have to smash it to pieces! Do you realise how expensive glass bottles are!?"

"AGH! You sound just like Link! What is it with you people and bottles? Are they some rare commodity!?"

"Yes, there aren't many craftsmen that work with glass!"

Tael nervously interjected "We're both sorry about that, Tatl has always been a very strong and stubborn fairy."

"Stubborn, how dare you accuse me of such a thing!?" snapped Tatl as she bumped into Tael.

"Cut it out the both of you!" Tael replied "Iris, weren't you supposed to go get Kotake when Skull Kid woke up? She said she needed to examine him to make sure the mask didn't hurt him."

Skull Kid froze and turned slowly to his fairy friends "You… you told them?"

Tael shyly admitted "We had to Skull Kid, we needed to tell them about Majora's Mask or else they wouldn't help you."

"It was the only way we could explain why you disappeared in the first place." Tatl nodded.

Every instinct told him to run, Skull Kid threw himself from his bed and forced himself to stand. Agony pulsed through his body as he tried to move his legs. But they let him down as he fell to the ground and struggled to get up again.

"Take it easy! Are you trying to kill yourself!?" Iris was at his side and helping him to his knees. She wiped his tears away with her baggy sleeve.

"Stop it! I don't deserve it!" he slapped her hand away "I should die for what I did."

"Skull Kid, don't say that." Tael sat on his tattered hat "We're still your friends and we care about you."

Tatl reiterated "You really have no idea how much you scared us! Disappearing like that without a word. Others care about you too, like the Giants and Link!"

"Don't you two get it?" Skull Kid covered his face "I let myself fall victim to that mask just because I didn't want to be lonely anymore… I almost killed everyone because of that! I shouldn't be allowed to live."

"Shut up! You're not making any sense now, you say you're alone and yet I see two people in this room who care about you. Are you really that blind!?" Iris pulled him up by the scruff of his collar "Look, we are all exhausted from what'd happened over the past few days. But we still managed to save you and you're not even grateful for it!? Are you trying to tell me, that we wasted our time saving you!?"

Skull Kid could not even look her in the eye, there was something eerie about Iris' gaze that unsettled him. Right now he was sure he could see the flames of hell burning in her eyes. She hissed back at him "Well? What's wrong? The cat caught your tongue!?"

He wilted before her "N… No. I just… I don't know what I'm doing anymore… I don't know how I can live with myself…"

"Iris, please calm down!" Tael pleaded "Skull Kid isn't really a bad person. He's just scared right now, you have to admit he's been through a horrible ordeal."

"Fine," Iris' expression softened, the fairy had made a good point after all "Look Skull Kid, I don't care what you've done and it's none of my business either. But, if I've learnt anything it's that you can't just shut yourself off from everyone when clearly there are people willing to help you. Everyone has their burdens and sometimes you need help with carrying them, so let them help."

Tael sat on Skull Kid's shoulder "We know it'll be hard for you, but… Kotake seems really nice too. So maybe it's best if we stay here until you feel better."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone is your enemy here." Tatl hovered before his face "And if you disappear again, I am going to hunt you down and punch you in the face as hard as I can for being a colossal idiot!"

Iris laughed "You know, I think I like you little fairy."

"Tatl, my dear, and I can appreciate you as well. Nice to meet a girl who is like minded."

The door of the shop creaked open, a lithe blue skinned woman came in from the cool night. She smiled and laughed to herself "Looks like he's up."

Iris waved back "Hey Veran, I thought you went to bed already?"

"The witches got me up," Veran looked over to Skull Kid "They're waiting for you in the Woods of Mystery now. There's something you need to see before you meet everyone else."

Tatl chirped "Alright then, let's see it."

"Not the fairies, just Skull Kid."

He looked to Iris who nodded back to him. With hesitant steps he followed after the strange woman as she guided him through the Woods of Mystery.

* * *

The siren song of curious voices filtered through the trees. Skull Kid looked around himself to see the will-o-wisps dance amidst the darkness. A star studded sky stretched overhead with the alabaster moon watching his journey. There was something electric about the air, it was unlike anything Skull Kid had seen before in a forest. The wisps trailed behind him and chattered in a lost tongue. He quickened his pace to catch up to Veran, his heart beating faster as he grew nervous. She looked back at him and gave him a comforting smile, yet there was something he could not quite trust about her. In fact this entire situation disturbed him, there was something ethereal about Veran that made him fear her. A wicked glint in her eye, that friendly smile that looked like it came from a predatory monster about to feast on its kill, all of it made him shiver.

The wisps parted as they reached the edges of the Woods of Mystery. They came to an ancient glade that housed a single monolith. A tall woman with hair of fire and ice was waiting for them. Celestial threads danced from her skin to the relic of black stone embedded in the earth.

Veran bowed her head "Twinrova."

"Twinrova?" Skull Kid glanced around the verdant clearing, the scent of the trees felt so familiar to him "Where is Ms Kotake?"

"Kotake and Koume are my… masks, so to say. Any form of deity needs a mask if they are to live in Termina. Our forms are just too powerful and divine to exist beyond the veil of twilight without a little help." Twinrova knelt down before Skull Kid, eyeing him curiously "Then again, this would be no problem for one as old as you."

Skull Kid backed away, Veran grabbed his shoulder to keep him running "I don't understand…"

"You found Majora's Mask because the Man Eater willed it to happen, it even created that salesman to act as its conduit."

Veran teased cruelly as she pulled him closer to the monolith "And why would the Man Eater want a filthy little lost soul like you?"

The closer she came to the monolith, the more her mask began to slip. Skull Kid watched as Veran's elegant beauty twisted away into a malevolent Great Fairy. She then placed him before the odd relic, he could feel the pulse of magic radiate from the stone.

"This is a piece of the Twilight Realm, in fact, you were the one who brought it to Termina as a prank." Veran smirked at him "Do you not remember those old times of ages past? Before the Giants sent you to the heavens… well, heaven isn't the right word for it. After all, it's just the realm the Golden Goddesses crafted to prove they were better than everyone else."

He broke free of her grip, his anger finally erupted "What are you even talking about!? I'm just… I'm just a faceless skull kid! What would I know about any of this!? I can't even remember my family or where I came from."

Twinrova raised a hand to Veran before the fairy could retort. The calmer deity sat beside him to explain "I suspect you might be more than that. I felt it the first time Iris brought you to the shop and it explains why Majora's Mask could do so much damage to Termina. It could not cast such powerful magic unless it took control of a deity."

Skull Kid flailed his arms "Me!? A deity? But… how… why?"

"I think you're a broken deity, one who has forgotten their true face. It happens from time to time, usually at the hands of the Golden Goddesses. They probably stripped you of your powers the moment you entered their realm." Twinrova put an arm around him, she dismissed Veran with a wave of her hand "Don't think that they're evil, they just have different magic that draws from the power of light, rather than darkness. That's all."

"Then why would they do that to me? What did I even do to them?"

"Who knows? They've never been very good at explaining why they do these things." Twinrova looked up "Do you see the wisps in the forest? How they dance in the air?"

Skull Kid nodded as he wiped his tears away. The ghostly flames continued to swim overhead without a care in the world.

"The fact that you can see them is a sign that you were once a deity. These wisps are lost souls and they gather here, although I don't know why. With time, I think you can recover your lost memories and find your true face once more."

"I think this is all insane…"

Twinrova laughed warmly "Aren't you tired of wandering aimlessly and alone through these worlds? Why not let yourself have a second chance?"

Skull Kid tilted his head "Worlds? You mean Termina and Hyrule?"

"You never realised you were the only one who could traverse them with ease?" Twinrova sighed out loud "The Golden Goddesses really did a number on you if you didn't even notice that." She smiled back at him "Luckily you're in the company of those who may be able to help you. Of course, I could never force you to stay with us, but at least consider staying in touch with Veran and I. The choice is yours."

They remained in the glade until daybreak as they watched the will-o-wisps dance. Skull Kid's mind was reeling as he tried to process everything that had been said. These wild theories actually sounded plausible the more he considered them.


	25. A new start

The warmth of sunlight fell on her eyes, Sable writhed in her bed as she pulled the blankets over her head. Her other senses also awoke, mainly due to the sound of snoring coming from across the room. She sat up to see Onox asleep partly in his bed and partly on the floor. It was illogical to think he could rest in such a painful looking position. Given her body felt rested enough, Sable left her bed and went outside. Oddly Koume was not at the front counter and the closed sign was prominent on the hut door. Instead Sable decided to venture to Kotake's glade and began a leisurely stroll down the beaten path.

Upon entering the glade she saw no smoke rising from the chimney of Kotake's home. Judging from the position of the sun it was clear that it was the crack of dawn. No one would be awake yet. There was solace to be found in this early hour. It was near impossible to think that Termina was on the verge of its demise a few months ago. The sound of the wind and water moving over the land as the earth remained the same. Some things never seemed to change with the passage of time.

At that moment, Sable watched Veran leave the Woods of Mystery. Now back in her Gomess body, Sable realised that it was nothing more than a mask to hide her true form. The vivid memories of the Twilight Realm had not left her. That Veran had willingly put Onox in such danger and practically used her for her own schemes ignited anger in Sable's heart. Letting out a guttural snarl, Sable charged, her body shifting into the form of a Fire Salamander in the process.

Veran leapt swiftly aside only to miss the violent swipe of an enraged Fire Salamander. Calling on her own magic she wove the nearby shadows into an elaborate web that entangled around her ambusher. She was not allowed a break though as the Fire Salamander shifted into a Forest Fox with ease. The drastic change in body shape and size rendered the shadow trap useless. As the fox charged, Veran created puppets of herself to throw off the creature's aim. To further disorientate the fox, Veran and all her copies unleashed a barrage of shadow bolts in all directions. Her opponent was sly though as it quickly sniffed out which one was true.

The stinger was a hair from her throat, the venom dripped upon her bodice while the needle threatened to pierce her. Veran breathed slowly but smiled confidently "Looks like that little trip did you some good after all, Sable."

The fox cloaked itself in shadows as it reverted to Sable's true body "I will admit I don't feel as tired anymore and I'm getting used to my new bodies."

"Well, that was an excellent, yet spontaneous, sparring session. May I ask what triggered it?"

"I… I was just angry because of how you used us. That's all. I'm sure I'll get over it… mainly because I know now that you're a wild deity and I wouldn't have a hope in hell of beating you."

"Please, when I'm in Termina, I'm just the reincarnation of the Great Fairy. Half the power, still capable of dying… which is unpleasant, especially because you retain your memories with each rebirth."

Sable laughed under her breath "You still could have at least told me earlier, or at least have told Ox about the Dark Dragon thing."

"I never thought he'd have it in him to actually tame that monster. Compared to his ancestors he's definitely the weakest link in the chain. Looks like I was proven wrong." Veran answered flippantly "But, if he plans to keep it under control, he'll need our help." She saw the confusion arise on Sable's face "I have a proposition, I can take your ability to possess minds to a whole new level. In return I ask that you help Ox develop his mental fortitude and train his brain to evade any form of mind control."

"Possess minds? You mean like seeing through a beast's eyes, right?"

"What if I could teach you how to see through the eyes of higher race, not just monsters, and also through the eyes of the elements?" Veran reached out her hand "Come, I'll give you a live demonstration of what I mean."

Overwhelmed by curiosity, Sable took her hand as they were both teleported out of swamplands.

* * *

The silent ruins of the Stone Tower Temple came into view. Sable found herself in the grand chamber before the room that held the statues, the doorway Veran opened to the Twilight Realm. They stood in the desolate chamber without exchanging a word. The murals covering the walls told a frightening tale of deities fighting. Some were familiar, displaying the Man Eater, the Oni and the Giants. There were others amidst them like three maidens of golden light and finally a giant parasite with yellow and black eyes. As Sable turned to face Veran her body was immobilised. Veran had snuck behind her and placed her fingers around Sable's face. Her fingertips came into synchronised positions around the skull and face. Shadowy tendrils rose from Veran's fingers and pierced the pressure points in Sable's head. The temple echoed with a long, painful scream.

In that instant, Sable began to hear the voices of those who once wandered this temple. Blurred silhouettes invaded her sight as the memories of the temple awakened to her. The Gomess tribe moved through the chambers like a typical day in Clock Town. Every one of them possessed grey or silver skin with usual eyes of red and yellow. It appeared to be a physical abnormality, an aesthetic price that marked them as wielders of dark magic. In this place, Sable did not feel like an outsider anymore, she did not appear diseased as she had been when compared to others.

She felt her heart skip a beat from shock as a familiar face emerged from the statue chamber. Sable's ancestor, Midna, walked casually down the hallway. Her loyal servants parted as she waltzed past. As Midna's shade passed through Sable, she felt the memory fade while Veran pulled back her fingers. There was no sign of injury or even lingering pain from where she placed her hands. Sable was in awe "What just happened?"

"A little taste of what I can teach you." Veran strode before her "Also I had to speed up the process and awaken your senses further."

Sable stepped forward, attempting to identify the catalyst for the stunning display "So what exactly did I see through the eyes of?"

"The temple itself, surely you know of the phrase 'if the walls could speak', well, this power allows them to. You can use it to witness the events of the past. Something I'm sure would be useful for your research into Terminan history."

"But what exactly am I tapping into? In order to possess anything it must be capable of conscious thought."

Veran let out an impressed sigh "Very astute, the second part of this power lies in your ability to sense spirits. This can be anything from the souls of the dead to the astral ley lines that pulse within the very elements themselves."

She turned to Veran "And let me guess, I can only learn how to sense spirits by refining my beast instincts?"

"So I take it you've researched this before?"

"No, just call it a lucky guess."

"It shouldn't prove too challenging as you are now, to be honest I thought you'd run back to town after your first day of training." Veran put an arm around Sable with a mischievous grin "Now here we are, a little over three years later and you've proven me wrong in every way imaginable. Usually I do not pass on this magic to just anyone, but I believe that with enough determination and training you may be able to achieve it."

Sable then recalled the reason for this demonstration "And you'll help me train, if I help Ox learn to defend himself from mind control?"

Veran nodded back "Seems like a fair exchange of services."

"I guess that means we'll have to travel together."

"Oh yes, my dear, we'll be going all over Termina."

Sable smiled back to Veran as they shook on the arrangement "Well, what are we waiting for? We have a whole temple to explore."

"As much as I admire your enthusiasm, but you just woke up from a week long sleep." Veran reminded "I think you need to eat something," she sniffed the air "And possibly bathe."

Sable was already marching over the bridge "I can do that later, we're in the temple now!"

"Which reminds me, only come here when I can warp you in. If you just flew in as a dragon you might be attacked by the Ikana when you pass through the valley."

She froze and turned on her heels "But… aren't the Ikana dead now?"

"Not quite, it's a long story and one you'll see for yourself as I train you here." Veran then grabbed Sable by one of her braids "For now, we're returning to the swamp so you can sort yourself out."

* * *

The late morning cascaded sunlight through the swamps. The overgrowth of wild plants filtered the light as streams of gold through the air. Thick canopies created by tree tops huddled over the rivers and muddy earth. Nature retreated around the glade that housed the potion bottle shapes home. The earth was firmer here and home to many young saplings who needed the sun to flourish. A fire burned in a makeshift pit for cooking as Iris masterfully flipped yet another pancake. By then she had lost track of how many she had made but she was sure the pile was getting smaller whenever she turned around. "Cut that out!" Iris snapped as she solved the mystery "I thought you said you were going to wait for the others to arrive!"

Onox swallowed the rest of the pancake he had stolen, in all honesty he wanted to see how long he could do it before she even noticed. Iris always seemed to a little too fascinated by fire for a Deku. He did not expect it to last this long as his stomach churned from being stuffed. Letting out a breath he stretched and arched his back, a sated smirk on his face.

"Wow, Veran was right. You are getting fat."

His smirk instantly turned into a frown while he glared at Iris. She was at his side and prodding his midsection out of curiosity. Swatting her hand aside he growled "I think you need to stop talking to Veran about me. It's just training weight, in a few months it'll decrease."

"Nope, you've definitely got a gut. Looks like I owe her twenty rupees." Iris sighed from annoyance "Damn, I had no idea, I mean you're always in that armour and then the big coat, not to mention you're really muscular everywhere, how else could you lift that huge flail? I always thought you were some freak half Goron, half Terminan, thing."

He adjusted the hem of his tunic "Be quiet now, my body is none of your business and I don't wish to discuss it."

"Discuss what?" Tael piped up as he flew over, alongside Tatl. The two fairies had spent most of the morning enjoying a fly around the swamp and darting between the trees.

Tatl teased "Who's the fatty?"

Onox growled under his breath and folded his arms over his chest. Iris spoke on his behalf while he seethed "That's Ox, he's another friend of mine." She heard a rustling in the bushes as Sable and Veran emerged from the overgrowth "That's Sable and you already met Veran earlier… wait a minute, where did you two go?"

Veran casually replied, brushing her hair from her face "Just for a nice morning walk, the swamps are beautiful this time of morning."

Tael floated over her "I know, they're amazing! I had no idea the plants here for so colourful."

"Carnivorous breeds tend to be pretty to attract their prey." She took a seat near the fire pit to ward off the crisp air "I'm sure you saw plenty of them on your flight."

"Oh…" Tael's wings drooped as he shivered "I don't think I like those plants anymore."

"Don't listen to her, the plants are only problems if you have flesh." Iris laughed as she resumed making pancakes, pouring a large amount of the batter into the heated frying pan. Although her words did not comfort Tael in the slightest.

Veran sat back and breathed in the scenery, all the sights and smells that greeted her senses. Even though she liked the Twilight Realm, there was something quite pleasant about life beneath the light of a sun and moon. The way it shifted with the flow of time, the kinds of people she had crossed paths with and generally the glorious patchwork of land that made Termina. It was a realm of discovery and change, something that was lacking from the monotony of the Twilight Realm. That factor was enough for her to don the mask of a mortal so that she may live in Termina.

Sable snarled, rousing her from her reverie, "You ate the breakfast before we got here!?"

Onox laughed to himself "I wanted to see if Iris would notice."

"Well it's pretty clear when your gut is sticking out like that." Sable punctuated the remark with a poke to his stomach. She sat cross legged beside him and pouted like a child.

"It's not sticking out that far!" He knew he was lying as he instinctively kept his arms around his torso.

Tatl perched on his head "Oh yes it is. Looks really clear from up here." She then quickly floated upwards as he tried to grab her.

Sable coldly informed "You're not the only one who just woke up."

Onox let out a sigh as he admitted defeat "Sorry, I'll be more considerate in the future."

In the meantime, Skull Kid finally emerged from the Woods of Mystery. Twinrova, no, Koume and Kotake, had not followed as they wished to have some time to meditate before the business day began. He looked over to the campfire to see Iris, Veran, Tatl and Tael. There were also two others, a large brute of a man with blood red eyes like a dragon, alongside him was a jester girl who looked rather diseased with her grey skin and yellow and mud brown eyes. He physically hesitated to approach them until Iris noticed him and waved. The others also acknowledged him, calling his name and beckoning him to join them.

For the first time since Link had saved him from Majora's Mask, Skull Kid smiled.


End file.
